The top military official of the European Union (EU) on Thursday hailed the peace and stabilization efforts of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
Esa Pulkkinen, Director General of the EU Staff (EUS), assured that Europe will continue to provide financial support to AMISOM over the next two years to help stabilize Somalia.
However, he added that the long-term maintenance of these funds will depend on the degree of satisfaction of the EU Member States with the progress made by the peacekeeping mission.
“AMISOM is vital to the peace and security of this country and this region,” said Pulkkinen, according to an AMISOM statement issued in Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
The military official described AMISOM as an indispensable peace support operation, without which Somalia could not function effectively.
The Finnish official, who also heads the EU Training Mission in Somalia, Mali and the Central African Republic, met with AMISOM leadership on Wednesday in Mogadishu.
At this meeting, Simon Mulongo, Deputy Director of AMISOM, spoke about the successes of AMISOM while citing the challenges it faces in maintaining control in the regions under its responsibility.
“The stability of Somalia is fundamental, not only for the Somalis, but for the region and the international community as well, and if we reduce or hinder the successes prematurely, it could be counter-productive,” Mulongo said.
He acknowledged that without EU support, the mission in Somalia would not work effectively. The EU is one of the donors of AMISOM and participates in the payment of AMISOM military pay.
