BUJUMBURA (Halbeeg News)-Burundian government has threatened to withdraw all its soldiers serving in the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia.
Burundi Members of the parliament has supported the government’s threat to withdraw the troops from AMISOM operations saying removal of over 1,000 men will endanger the remaining soldiers.
Burundi has 5,400 soldiers out of 26,000 strong AMISOM peacekeepers and has turned down the proposal of withdrawing 1,000 of its troops and instead agreed to 341. They also asked why other nations that are contributing troops to the mission have pulled out different numbers.
The troops contributing countries agreed to a gradual withdrawal of troops until 2021 when AMISOM is expected to hand over security responsibility to the Somali armed forces.
“Withdrawing many soldiers would endanger the remaining Burundian contingent, “Burundi’s Senate Chairman Reverien Ndikuriyo said.
President Pierre Nkurunzia has called for an urgent summit on the matter during the visit of Somali President, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo to the country on Tuesday last week to discuss the issue but the emergency meeting is yet to happen.
Burundi troops arrived in Somalia in 2007 as part of the first African Union peacekeepers mandated by the United Nations to help by then the transitional federal government of Somalia maintains peace.
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