Somalia has welcomed Egypt’s offer to deploy peacekeeping troops in the country after the mandate of the African Union (AU) peacekeepers ends in December. During a summit in Asmara, Eritrea, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, alongside Somali and Eritrean leaders, pledged to collaborate on regional security. After the summit ended, Somalia’s government released a statement endorsing Egypt’s participation in the new African Union Mission to Support Stabilization in Somalia (AUSSOM), which will take over from the outgoing AU mission. In a separate statement signed by their representatives at the summit, Somalia, Egypt, and Eritrea reaffirmed Somalia’s right to determine AUSSOM’s troop deployment. The AU peacekeeping mission, active since 2007, has been crucial in battling the al-Shabab extremist group, which is responsible for numerous attacks in the country.
SOURCE: AP NEWS