MOGADISHU (SD) – Somalia has explained its stance on the post Amisom security framework in the country as the country was at loggerheads with AU over proposals to modify Amisom forces for an expanded role.

Speaking during the meeting with the 15-member of the AU Peace and Security Council, Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamed Abdirizak has hinted that his government was still willing to negotiate over the plan to pave the way to plans to resolve the misunderstanding.

“In the transition process, Somalia has insisted on its proposal being accepted. Even if our plan is adopted by AMISOM and backed by the United Nations, we will continue to negotiate for some time, but unfortunately, it has not been implemented in the first place and that is where the disagreement is,” Abdirizak said.

The minister however accused the African Union (AU) of failing to consider Somalia’s proposals on the way forward in light of the expected withdrawal of AMISOM from the country.

“The fact is that there is nothing to be gained without the consent of the host country. The transition plan will be the position of the Federal Government of Somalia, not only this administration, but also it is the future administration of the country,” the minister said

Somalia last month objected to all four proposals by the AU on the future of Amisom, a UN-mandated peacekeeping force directly under AU guidance.

In fact, the AU Peace and Security Council last month adopted the proposal for a hybrid extension, seeing Amisom transit to an AU-UN peacekeeping force with more technical and humanitarian personnel than combat troops.

Somalia said it had proposed and agreed with the joint technical team for a Concept of Operations (Conops) that would gradually place primary responsibility of the country’s security in the hands of local security agencies.

The horn of African nation argued the arrangement was to be in place from January next year until after 2023 when Mogadishu hoped its local forces would be strong enough to take over the country’s entire security.