UN envoy calls for support for African Union troops in Somalia
Listen /
A panoramic aerial view of the seaport of the southern Somali city of Kismayo, the last bastion of the once feared Al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist group Al Shabaab: AMISOM
The Security Council has been encouraged to support an African Union request to boost its maritime presence in Somalia.
The call comes from Dr. Augustine Mahiga, head of the UN Political Office in Somalia, who addressed the Council on Tuesday.
Dr. Mahiga reported that the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is nearly at its full strength, with additional troops and equipment deploying to the country.
He said as the African Union and Somali troops control more territory, they must be equipped to face Al-Shabaab militants.
"It is also essential that AMISOM is supported to control more effectively the coastal waters around Mogadishu, Merca, Barawa and Kismayo in order to protect its own forces, supply lines, interrupt Al-Shabaab resupply lines and effectively secure the ports of commercial use, including containing the trade in charcoal." (Duration: 26″)
Dr. Mahiga spoke to the Security Council via teleconference from Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.
