Leaders want Somali gov''t to take over Kismayo

By Raymond Baguma

KAMPALA - The summit of regional heads of state from the African countries with troops in Somalia has directed that the Somali Federal Government should take over control of Kismayo.

The decision came at the end of a Friday meeting for AMISOM troops-contributing countries meant to harmonize the ongoing approach in building a peaceful Somalia.

The heads of state who met in Kampala included Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni,Uhuru Kenyatta, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, and Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The summit was preceded by a meeting of regional ministers of foreign affairs and defence and high-level officials from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Uganda.

Present were Fawzia Adam, the Somali deputy Prime Minister; Hassan Darar Houfaneh, the defence minister of Djibouti; Gabriel Nizigama, the Burundian minister of public security and Andrew Bangali the AU permanent representative for Sierra Leone.

The summit resolved that in accordance with the Provisional Federal Constitution of Somalia, the control of the Kismayo seaport and airport should be handed over to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS).

Minister Fawzia said that the Federal Government is in talks with the various political groups in Kismayo. And that a lasting solution in Kismayo requires the establishment of government institutions with the help and support of AMISOM.

The summit pledged that the region will support Somalia to establish its authority in the Jubba Regions especially its control of state-owned federal infrastructure including the seaport and airport.

They also said that in line with UN Security Council resolutions, the ban on the exportation of charcoal should be adhered to and all militias should be integrated into the Somalia National Security Forces except those associated with the Al Shabaab .

The summit also said that the UN Security Council resolution which sets February 28, 2014 as the deadline for implementing the AMISOM peace enforcement mandate is premature and uncalled for. That this would undo the hard-won gains on the ground.

AMISOM is presently comprised of 6,000 Ugandan troops, 5,000 Burundian, 4,000 Kenyan and 1,000 troops from Djibouti. There are also 850 troops from Sierra Leone, with police units from Nigeria and Uganda.

The ministers called on AMISOM and military chiefs of Ethiopia and Somalia to urgently work out modalities to operationalize a multinational force to be deployed in Kismayo.

They also expressed concerns over the emergence of private security companies and noted that their activities negatively impact on efforts aimed at rebuilding the Somalia National Security Forces.

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