COMMON ANALYSIS
Last updated: June 2022
The African Union Mission in Africa (AMISOM) is a multidimensional and multinational peace support operation with nearly 20 000 forces on the ground, including 1 040 police staff, about 18 500 military staff and 70 civilian staff. AMISOM relies on contingents from troops-contributing countries. Since 2007, AMISOM is tasked to reduce the threat posed by Al-Shabaab and other armed groups, to support the transfer of security responsibilities from AMISOM to Somali Security Forces (SSF) and to assist the FGS, FMS and SSF in providing security for the political process at all levels. [Actors, 5.1.1]
Within each sector, AMISOM clusters its activities around Forward Operating Bases, which are strategically important for organising and launching military operations. They are often located in urban centres and along supply routes, while others are in more remote areas. Since its inception in 2007, AMISOM has achieved several objectives, such as reducing the areas under Al-Shabaab’s direct control, including Mogadishu, and other several dozen urban centres or settlements in South-Central Somalia, such as Kismayo, Baidoa and more recently Janale. [Actors, 5.1.2]
According to UN reports, AMISOM’s overall conduct with regard to international humanitarian law and human rights law standards has improved in the last few years. Harm to civilians, including through indirect fire, allegations of sexual abuse, and cases of corruption and misconduct were more frequently reported in the period 2013-2015. For the period 1 August 2016 to 30 September 2019, the UNSG attributed to AMISOM 64 violations against children, such as deprivation of liberty during military operations, an attack on a school, and 42 children casualties. In 2020, AMISOM was listed among the actors conducting extra-judicial killings of civilians and its forces were implicated in rapes and other unspecified grave abuses of human rights while conducting military operations against Al-Shabaab. [Actors, 5.1.3]
