Pan-African lawmakers push for African Union standby force

ADDIS ABABA

Pan-African lawmakers are now pushing for the establishment of a standby force to enhance rapid response to deal with conflicts in the region.

The move came as Somali MPs at the Pan-African Parliament demanded the immediate withdrawal of Kenyan forces and other Amisom forces from Somalia.

An independent force, they said, would reduce the level of suspicion between the countries in conflict and the countries contributing the peace-keeping forces to regional organs such as the Amisom.

Nominated Senator Janet Ongera, who is leading the Kenyan team in the ongoing conference in Addis Ababa, said it was time the African Union moved to establish its own peace-keeping force due to the increasing case of conflict in the region.

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

She, however, claimed that the African military should operate professionally in order to provide adequate military support.

"There are countries where the military is misused by those in authority. In Kenya, for example, the government in power deploys the local military without consulting Parliament. This is not right," Ms Ongera told the conference.

Nairobi County Women Representative Rachel Shebesh said Kenya has suffered more in the Somali conflict for stepping in to help stabilise her neighbour.

She said the presence of a standby military unit of the AU would save countries like Kenya and Uganda from suffering the brunt of war.

"So many Kenyans have been killed in Somalia as our country tried to intervene to stabilise Somalia. It will be very important for the AU to have its own independent force so that neighbours like Kenya do not have to send forces to countries like Somalia," Senator Shebesh said.

SOMALI REPATRIATION

Kenya’s Senator Fatuma Dulo, who is the vice-chairperson of the Senate Committee on Security, appealed for the repatriation of the Somali refugees back to the liberated parts of their country.

"Kenya has been so insecure due to the Somali situation, with terror threats all over. It is important that a rapid repatriation process of Somali refugees be expedited to enable Somali nationals to go back to the liberated parts of Somalia and start their life there," Ms Dulo said.

A Somali MP, Abdulaziz Abdulahi, who is leading the Somali delegation at the forum, pleaded for the withdrawal of all foreign forces, including Kenyans, from the Somali territory.

"We are calling on Africa and the whole world to help (the) Somali government to build capacity for their own forces so that the people of Somalia can take responsibility for their territorial peace and harmony," Mr Abdulahi told the conference.

‘KENYA MUST LEAVE’

Though Mr Abdulahi praised Kenya for helping liberate many parts of Somalia, including Kismayu, he warned that the Kenyan military`s continuous stay in the Horn of Africa state was not good for both countries.

"The Kenyan troops and the other foreign troops must leave now. They must invest the resources at their disposal to facilitate the rebuilding of (the) Somali military instead," said the Somali MP.