afrol News, 21 February - The United Nations Security Council has approved the extension of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia [AMISOM] by six months.

The mission comprises of at least 3,000 peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi.

The extension was in response to an earlier decision by the African Union Peace and Security Council at the just-ended summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

All the 15 members of the council unanimously approved the extension under 1801 UN resolution.

There has been calls for AMISOM to be replaced by a UN mission. But the extension means a delay in the replacement of a mission bereft of financial and human resources.

According to the UN resolution, the council has taken this latest decision pending the release of the Secretary General's report due on 10 March. The publication of Ban Ki-Moon's report will give the council the "options to prepare for the possible deployment of a UN peacekeeping force to succeed AMISOM."

Dumisani Khumalo, South African Ambassador to the UN told reporters he had reluctantly voted for the enforcement of the resolution because "we really feel that the UN is letting down the people of Somalia."

UN had earlier expressed concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Somalia, a country that had been without a proper functioning government since the country's former dictator, Siad Bare, was forced out of power in 1991.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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