Kenya seeks to retain combat role in Somalia
Kenya will be seeking an enhanced mandate for its military troops set to join the United Nations-sponsored African Union forces engaged in Somalia, the Department of Defence has said.
Col Cyrus Oguna, the military spokesman, said at the weekly briefing on Operation Linda Nchi on Saturday that the Kenyan forces would join Amisom under a “robust mandate”.
The mandate would allow “peace enforcement” as opposed to “peacekeeping”, meaning the troops would be allowed to hunt down and neutralise Al-Shaabab.
“The rules of engagement are different. Peace enforcement allows the forces to go on aggressive patrols and hit when they are hit,” said Col Oguna at the briefing at the Ministry of Information.
It would also allow pre-emptive strikes as well as a continuation of the aerial bombardment and the use of the naval ships against Al-Shabaab.
Col Oguna said the endorsement of the idea by Parliament was “just an activity within the process” as the approval of the African Union Security Council and the United Nations is needed.
This means it could take some time before the Kenyan troops rehat — work under Amisom — and not soon as earlier anticipated.
Mr Lindsay Kiptiness, the deputy director at Foreign Affairs division in charge of the Horn of Africa, said the financial pressure on the Kenyan government would reduce when the troops rehat.
The request to have the Kenyan troops join Amisom was made by the African Union.
Kenyan troops crossed into Somalia in mid-October in hot pursuit of Al-Shaabab who were accused of being behind the kidnap of two foreign tourists and the murder of another.
The troops have taken control of several towns in Southern Somalia and are working with soldiers from the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to remove Al-Shaabab.
