AMISOM
Navy Opposed
by Somalia,
Fig Leaf for
French
Cheapskates?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 16 –
Back in
November 2012,
despite there
being
ten votes on
the 15 member
UN Security
Council to
include and
pay for
a naval
component in
the Somalia
mission
AMISOM, the
decision was
deferred for
four months.
As Inner City
Press
reported, this
was largely
blamed on
“cheapness” by
France, which
did not want
to pay.
Now
the idea
appears to
have been not
deferred but
shot down.
Fawzia Y. H
Adam, the
Somali deputy
prime minister
who addressed
the Security
Council this
week announced
“our strong
opposition to
a maritime
force to be
authorized for
AMISOM. There
is no
compelling
reason to
take the
campaign
against AI
Shabab to sea.
Piracy, people
trafficking
and smuggling
are important
challenges but
are not linked
to the mandate
of AMISOM.”
Despite
these
stated
reasons, UN
cynics are
wondering if
the real
concern
about paying
wasn't given
the fig leaf
of a Somali
speech.
On November 7,
after
"three or
four"
countries
blocked a 12
month
extension of
the Somalia
peacekeeping
mission and
funding of a
maritime
component,
the
Security
Council
adopted by a
15-0 vote a
four month
extension.
Inner City
Press covered
the
negotiations,
here, and
then put
online the
earlier
12-month
draft, here,
as a public
service.
After
the vote,
countries
ranging from
South Africa
and India to
Guatemala said
in their
explanations
of vote that
the maritime
component
should have
been included.
South Africa's
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
Doctor
Mashabane came
to the
stakeout and
Inner City
Press asked
him, how many
votes did you
have for the
maritime
component?
Ten,
he said,
adding that it
was blocked by
"three or
four" Council
members.
(Another well
placed source,
a Permanent
Representative,
told Inner
City Press the
cheapness came
mostly "from
France.")
Inner
City Press
asked if Kenya
will now
withdraw its
ships, since
the Security
Council didn't
approve
funding for
this maritime
component.
Mashabane said
he couldn't
speak for
Kenya, but
added that the
African Union
doesn't just
wake up and
make requests,
and that its
requests
should be
treated with
more respect
by the UN
Security
Council.
Well, not yet.
Watch this
site.
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