The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during a large scale invasion in late 2006. The missions primary objective was to maintain the regime change between the ICU and the newly installed Transitional Federal Government, implement a national security plan and train the TFG security forces. As part of its duties, AMISOM later supported the Federal Government of Somalia in its war against Al-Shabaab. AMISOM was the most deadly peacekeeping operation in the post-war era.
AMISOM was created by the African Union's Peace and Security Council on 19 January 2007 with an initial six-month mandate. On 21 February 2007 the United Nations Security Council approved the mission's mandate. Subsequent six-monthly renewals of AMISOM's mandate by the African Union Peace and Security Council have also been authorized by the United Nations Security Council.
In March 2007, the first AMISOM troops deployed to Somalia, landing in Mogadishu as fighting was raging between Islamist insurgents and Ethiopian/TFG forces. After four years of intense urban fighting against Al-Shabaab in Mogadishu, during the Battle of Mogadishu (2010–2011) the Uganda People's Defence Force (Army) and Burundian Army forced the militants to withdraw from the capital. In 2014, the Ethiopia was integrated into AMISOM. In the succeeding years 2012-2015 a number of towns in the hinterland were recaptured, though most of the rural clans remained under Al-Shabaab rule.
The duration of AMISOM's mandate had been extended in each period that it has been up for review, until it was replaced on April 1, 2022, by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. On 21 December 2021, the United Nations Security Council reauthorized AMISOM in Somalia for three months. The new mandate ran until 31 March 2022, ahead of a phased handover of responsibilities to Somalia's security forces in early 2023. AMISOM's mandate ended on 31 March 2022, and was replaced by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia.
Background During 2005 the Transitional Federal Government was deeply divided over the issue of a possible deployment of foreign troops in Somalia. Various prominent Somali leaders and groups threatened to forcefully oppose such an intervention. The IGAD planned on deploying in March 2005 despite significant opposition, though the operation was cancelled."IGAD to deploy peacekeepers despite opposition by faction leaders" , IRIN, 16 March 2005 As early as 25 March 2005 the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a rising Islamist group fighting warlords in Mogadishu, warned that any foreigner peacekeepers deployed to Somalia would be unwelcome and face death. Faced with the ascendancy of the ICU after taking over the capital in the Battle of Mogadishu between May and June 2006, UN-watchers were growing concerned with the level of hostility of the ICU towards the proposed foreign deployment.Security Council Report: July 2006: Somalia Security Council Report The African Union adopted a plan to deploy troops to Somalia on 14 September 2006. Plans for a foreign deployment continued, though the ICU was clearly opposed, as they saw IGASOM as a US/Western means to curb their growth. Until December 2006, the UN Security Council had imposed an arms embargo on the group, but the embargo was partially lifted and a mandate for foreign troops was issued on 6 December 2006 for six months.
The African Union's involvement in the war came at the insistence of both Ethiopia and the United States for the organization to take over the role of 'regime changer'. In effect, the newly planned AU military operation in Somalia was an attempt to legitimize the Ethiopian invasion and TFG. According to Cocodia, "AMISOM was more a tool for regime change than it was a peace operation." AMISOM's deployment served as an exit strategy for Ethiopian troops, as their presence was inflaming an insurgency. On 20 February 2007, the United Nations granted authorization for the deployment of a peacekeeping mission by the African Union, known as the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM). The mission's stated primary objective was to provide support for a national reconciliation congress in Somalia.
From 2007 to 2009, AMISOM was predominantly composed of troops from Uganda, Burundi, and a few Kenyans. During 2007, the operation relied heavily on Ugandan Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF), as Uganda played a crucial role in offering support to the initiation of the mission. By the end of the year, Burundian troops also joined the effort. AMISOM's initial mandate did not permit the use of offensive force, resulting in limited involvement in the conflict between Ethiopian forces and the insurgency. This dynamic led to growing tensions between AMISOM and the ENDF, exacerbated by a lack of transparency from Ethiopia regarding its objectives within Somalia. The European Union was reportedly 'exceptionally unhappy' about the heavy US support for the December invasion, and held back funds for the newly created AMISOM mission for several months.
Authorization The African Union Peace and Security Council authorized AMISOM in January 2007, explicitly assuming that it would become a UN mission after six months.(AU, PSC/PR/2(LXIX), 19 January 2007.) On 21 February 2007, the United Nations Security Council authorized the AU to deploy a peacekeeping mission with a mandate of six months. On 20 August 2007, the United Nations Security Council extended the African Union's authorisation to continue deploying AMISOM for a further six months and requested the Secretary-General to explore the option of replacing AMISOM with a United Nations mission to Somalia.
On 31 May 2019, the Security Council unanimously approved United Nations Security Council Resolution 2472, authorising Member States of the African Union to maintain the deployment of AMISOM until 31 May 2020, with a reduction of the number of troops to 19,626 by 28 February 2020.
The Security Council decided [on 29 May] to reauthorize the deployment of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) personnel for nine months, requiring them to support security in the lead-up to elections and to work towards the gradual hand-over of responsibility to Somali forces by 2021.
Mission planning
Scope of the mission
IGASOM was expected to eventually reach 8,000 troops, with an expected cost of $335 million for the first year. According to UN Security Council Resolution 1725, states bordering Somalia would not be eligible to deploy troops under IGASOM. The remaining (non-bordering) IGAD member nations include Sudan, Eritrea, and Uganda. Because of the objection of the burden falling on these three nations alone (and the rivalry between Ethiopia and Eritrea), the mission was expanded to include other member states of the African Union.
AMISOM has a different composition. As proposed, it comprised an initial three battalions, growing to a total of nine battalions of 850 troops each, which would serve for an initial stabilization period of six months. The mission was to be modelled after the African Union Mission in Burundi (AMIB).
ICU resistance Though IGAD and the ICU met and published a cordial and formal communiqueCommunique IGAD committing the ICU to the IGAD plans on 2 December, by the time United Nations Security Council Resolution 1725 was passed on 6 December, the ICU was openly and militantly opposed to peacekeepers entering Somalia, and vowed to treat any peacekeepers as hostile forces. Because of regional divisions, there were also UIC resistance to allowing Ethiopian troops be part of the mission. Ethiopia, for its part, was leery of allowing Eritrean troops to be members of the IGAD peacekeeping force.
In the face of ICU threats, Uganda, the only IGAD members who had openly offered to send forces (a battalion), withdrew in the face of concerns of the present feasibility of the mission.Security Council Report: December 2006: Somalia Security Council Report Shabelle Media Network Shabelle Media Networks In Uganda's defense, the crisis does not allow for peacekeepers when there are active hostilities conducted with heavy weapons (see Battle of Baidoa).
On 1 January 2007, after the defeat of the ICU in various battles in December 2006, Uganda again renewed its pledge of a battalion of troops. Between Uganda and Nigeria (which is a Member State of the African Union, but not of Intergovernmental Authority on Development), there was a pledge of a total of 8,000 peacekeepers. Shabelle Media Network Ghana, Rwanda and Tanzania were reported to be considering sending forces.
Gathering support
Following the defeat of the Islamic Courts Union in December 2006 – January 2007 the international community began to gather both fiscal commitments as well as military forces for the mission. Nations of the African Union (AU) outside the Intergovernmental Authority on Development community were drawn on to provide support.
On 17 January 2007, the US ambassador to Kenya, Michael Ranneberger, said the US pledged $40 million to support the deployment of a peacekeeping force for Somalia. By 20 January, the European Union followed with a pledge of 15 million euros. On 19 January 2007 the mission was formally defined and approved by the African Union at the 69th meeting of the Peace and Security Council. On 22 January 2007 Malawi agreed to send a half-battalion to a battalion (ranging widely anywhere between approximately 400 to 1,200 troops) for a peacekeeping mission to Somalia. On 24 January 2007 Nigeria pledged a battalion (a force between 770 and 1,100 troops) to join the Somali peacekeeping mission.
On 1 February 2007 Burundi committed to the peacekeeping mission, pledging up to 1,000 troops. By 27 March, it was confirmed that 1700 Burundian peacekeepers would be sent to Somalia. On 2 February 2007, the United Nations Security Council welcomed the advent of the African Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development-led peacekeeping mission. On 5 February 2007 Tanzania offered to train Somali government troops, but not to deploy peacekeepers. On 9 February 2007 a gathering of 800 Somali demonstrators in north Mogadishu, where Islamist support was strongest, burned U.S., Ethiopian, and Ugandan flags in protest of the proposed peacekeeping mission. A masked representative of the resistance group, the Popular Resistance Movement in the Land of the Two Migrations, said Ethiopian troops would be attacked in their hotels; the same group had made a video warning peacekeepers to avoid coming to Somalia. By this date, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi and Burundi had committed to the peacekeeping mission, but the total force was about half of the proposed 8,000-strong force. Uganda had pledged 1,400 troops and some armored vehicles for a mission lasting up to 9 months, and the AU had pledged $11.6 million. On 16 February 2007 Uganda announced it would deploy 1,500 well-seasoned troops as early as Saturday, 17 February 2007 under the command of Major General Levi Karuhanga. Reportedly the troops had been training for two years in preparation for the mission.
Deployment to Somalia Days before AMISOM deployed in Somalia, violence in Mogadishu began rapidly escalating. On 6 March 2007, the first African Union troops landed at Mogadishu airport alongside three military vehicles.
The Burundian troops were technically ready to go in early August 2007, but equipment promised by the United States and France had not yet arrived. On 23 December 2007, an advance force of 100 Burundians was deployed and another 100 soldiers arrived on 2007-12-24.France 24 By late 2008, 1,700 Burundian soldiers were deployed to Mogadishu.AFP: Burundi completes Somalia deployment