By FRED OLUOCH
The European Union is renewing its support for peace in the Horn of African even as peacekeepers in Somalia struggle with reduced funding.
This was the message the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini delivered in her round trip to Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia.
These happen to be four out of the five troop-contributing countries to the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), which is still grappling with the United Nations Security Council resolution for a phased drawdown.
Security in the region was her main agenda in the meeting with Somalia Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh and the African Union Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
It came at a time when the ongoing diplomatic rift between Kenya and Somalia over the marine boundary is threatening to derail the war against Al Shabaab.
“We have had discussions around regional peace and security matters as well as integration. We discussed co-operation in Somalia, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo as well as my request for EU support for Kenya’s bid for the UNSC,” she said after meeting Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Dr Monica Juma.
Source: The East African
