Over 3000 African Union soldiers killed in Somalia

[Reashot Xigwin]

UN: Up to 3,000 AU Soldiers Killed in Somalia

Member of Ugandan contingent of AMISOM forces during advance with Somali National Army to Baidoa from Ballidoogole airbase, Somalia, Oct. 18, 2012.

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May 10, 2013
A top U.N. official says up to 3,000 African Union soldiers have been killed in Somalia over the past few years fighting the Islamist insurgency.

U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson gave the death toll at a news conference Thursday at U.N. headquarters.

U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson during news conference, Beijing, Feb. 22, 2013.U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson during news conference, Beijing, Feb. 22, 2013.
Eliasson said Uganda and Burundi, which supplied most of the troops for the AU force, "have paid a tremendous price."

A spokesman for the force, Ali Aden Hamoud, says he cannot confirm or deny the death toll.

"That responsibility belongs to each one of those contingents, or troop-contributing countries," he said.

Over the past two years, AU troops, working with Somali and Ethiopian forces, have forced militant group al-Shabab out of southern Somali towns and cities they once controlled.

Eliasson said the al-Shabab threat has receded but still exists and that the AU force, known as AMISOM, still "plays an absolutely crucial role" in Somalia.

AU soldiers arrived in Somalia in 2007 and were involved in heavy fighting with al-Shabab in Mogadishu for several years.

The capital is largely calm these days, although al-Shabab still carries out periodic attacks like a suicide bombing last Sunday that killed eight people.

The East African nation is attempting to emerge from more than 20 years of chaos and war under a new government formed last year. Donor nations pledged $300 million for security in Somalia at a conference in London this week.

UN: Up to 3,000 AU Soldiers Killed in Somalia

Images:

Images thanks to:Billao Journal of Somali Security Studies: Al-Shabaab Attack Near Afmadow (31/08/2012)

 

[thedarkpassenger]

killem all

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Well, there are 30 000 "official" proxy armed-invaders in Somalia.
If the Amisom would suffer 2500 casualties per month. By two years they would be depleted of manpower.

Its all a numbers game.

How many US marines are there?

About 100 protecting a drone base(s)
Exclusive: U.S. Operates Drones From Secret Bases in Somalia | Foreign Policy

 

[thedarkpassenger]

What more can you tell me about this squadron?

 

[Saho]

Those AMISON troops mainly from Uganda, Burundi and other East central African countries are there as a tool to hold their colony Mogadishu until each federal forces of the Somali federal states is built by the Western countries and China in particular. Similar to the way the US built Afghanistan and Iraq while NATO holds it before they withdrew after the forces were ready to go on front line. The mandates for the AMISON ends in 2017.

It is acknowledged that the AMISON are highly ineffective compared to Ethiopia who dismantled ICU in the first place and of course, colonized Somalia before AMISON came. I think this is because East central Africa is not accustomed in warfare and is new meaning inexperienced whereas Ethiopia have undergone hundreds of rebellions, conflicts, civil wars, internal unrest, and external wars (Egypt, Marxist led Somalia, Eritrea etc) in the past.



This is why they are being replaced by Ethiopian troops.

Imperial tenacity
On Jan 2014, over five years after the failure of its military occupation, Ethiopia has mobilized thousands of its troops into Somalia as a result of a dubious deal-making that I refer to as Injera diplomacy and its cronies within the Somali government. All paid for by the international community as part of the U.N.-mandated African Union forces AMISOM.

According to a statement by AMISOM mission, “The Ethiopian deployment will permit Burundian and Ugandan forces to move into parts of Lower and Middle Shabelle.” Inadvertently or otherwise, this has given a legal justification to open the gates for an Ethiopian Trojan Horse.

Today, Ethiopian troops are expanding into various strategic locations within Somalia. And they are handpicking their delivery men in each of these locations. This — as well as Kenya’s role in Jubbaland — remind me of a something that I heard in a debate that I once had with a senior Western diplomat over the perpetual problem that IGAD and its Western partners were creating in Somalia- solving one problem by creating ten others. “We are not like your neighbors; we are not interested in who would be the next mayor of town X or the next governor of region Z,” he said.

In his recent visit to participate in the controversial inauguration of yet another “president” of a highly by contested federal-state (South West 3), President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of the federal government was welcomed to Baidoa by a military official with the Ethiopian contingent. This was done against the democratically asserted will of the local masses that already elected another president for the same territory that is claimed by the aforementioned federal-state. Confused? Don’t worry, you are not alone.

So, President Mohamud and his counterpart — President Sharif Hassan Aden — were led onto a platform managed by the said Ethiopian official to take a salute as the flags of Somalia, South West 3 and Ethiopian flags were towering behind them. One could not find a more profound metaphor for our national disgrace.

Perception management
Despite their dubious military intervention, Ethiopia has masterfully lulled Somali “leaders” into a false sense of security and tantalized them with mirage of power.

In addition to its under the radar military mobilization to expand its sphere of influence, Ethiopia has launched a successful campaign of co-option, indoctrination and silencing of key individuals and institutions. Many media professionals were lured by the offer of intensive certification program in journalism, first class hospitality, and generous stipends. Likewise, some officials in the security sector, parliament, civil societies and the political elite.


Ever since the reemergence of the Ethiopian occupation, all key officials in the armed forces, all governors, and ministers with overt sense of patriotism were systematically removed or permanently silenced. The former are often attributed to cockamamie political issues; and the latter to al Shabaab.

These individuals are, by and large, at liberty to scrutinize the government but not the specter of Ethiopian domination.


In today’s camouflaged occupation, Ethiopia has perhaps outdone its own expectation. It now controls all of the strategic seaports except Mogadishu and its troops are present in almost all of Somalia.

Proudly savoring the success of his country’s stealth takeover of Somalia, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said his troops already control “more than 60 percent of Somali territory.” He swiftly offered to replace the 850 Sierra Leone contingent that was based in one of the most important strategic seaports (Kismayo) which is part of Jubbaland federal-state that has a president of its own. This contingent has abruptly left only after 20 months, though AMISOM soldiers are paid as high as ten times the monies they make in their respective countries. As such, many African soldiers covet the opportunity. Some AMISOM soldiers were reported to intentionally play softball with Al Shabaab in order to prolong their military tour in Somalia for the over generous salaries they receive.

But what makes the matter even more questionable is the fact that Ethiopia, as the “Guarantor” of the Jubbaland Compromise Agreement, which stipulates the integration of the militia group under the command of President Ahmed Islaan Madoobe and the Somali government forces, would not want to make good on an agreement that it engineered and brokered.

Could it be because of its clandestine security arrangement with Kenya whose forces, as mentioned before, are about to retreat? In his own way, Kenya's Deputy President has confirmed that in a recent interview. Kenya’s interest to annex part of Jubbaland for a “buffer zone” in order to tip the scale on its illegal claim to Somali waters is widely covered.

 

[thedarkpassenger]

Somalia is a good place to sell guns. Easy money.

 

[Zibago]

Those AMISON troops mainly from Uganda, Burundi and other East central African countries are there as a tool to hold their colony Mogadishu until each federal forces of the Somali federal states is built by the Western countries and China in particular. Similar to the way the US built Afghanistan and Iraq while NATO holds it before they withdrew after the forces were ready to go on front line. The mandates for the AMISON ends in 2017.

It is acknowledged that the AMISON are highly ineffective compared to Ethiopia who dismantled ICU in the first place and of course, colonized Somalia before AMISON came. I think this is because East central Africa is not accustomed in warfare and is new meaning inexperienced whereas Ethiopia have undergone hundreds of rebellions, conflicts, civil wars, internal unrest, and external wars (Egypt, Marxist led Somalia, Eritrea etc) in the past.



This is why they are being replaced by Ethiopian troops.

Imperial tenacity
On Jan 2014, over five years after the failure of its military occupation, Ethiopia has mobilized thousands of its troops into Somalia as a result of a dubious deal-making that I refer to as Injera diplomacy and its cronies within the Somali government. All paid for by the international community as part of the U.N.-mandated African Union forces AMISOM.

According to a statement by AMISOM mission, “The Ethiopian deployment will permit Burundian and Ugandan forces to move into parts of Lower and Middle Shabelle.” Inadvertently or otherwise, this has given a legal justification to open the gates for an Ethiopian Trojan Horse.

Today, Ethiopian troops are expanding into various strategic locations within Somalia. And they are handpicking their delivery men in each of these locations. This — as well as Kenya’s role in Jubbaland — remind me of a something that I heard in a debate that I once had with a senior Western diplomat over the perpetual problem that IGAD and its Western partners were creating in Somalia- solving one problem by creating ten others. “We are not like your neighbors; we are not interested in who would be the next mayor of town X or the next governor of region Z,” he said.

In his recent visit to participate in the controversial inauguration of yet another “president” of a highly by contested federal-state (South West 3), President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of the federal government was welcomed to Baidoa by a military official with the Ethiopian contingent. This was done against the democratically asserted will of the local masses that already elected another president for the same territory that is claimed by the aforementioned federal-state. Confused? Don’t worry, you are not alone.

So, President Mohamud and his counterpart — President Sharif Hassan Aden — were led onto a platform managed by the said Ethiopian official to take a salute as the flags of Somalia, South West 3 and Ethiopian flags were towering behind them. One could not find a more profound metaphor for our national disgrace.

Perception management
Despite their dubious military intervention, Ethiopia has masterfully lulled Somali “leaders” into a false sense of security and tantalized them with mirage of power.

In addition to its under the radar military mobilization to expand its sphere of influence, Ethiopia has launched a successful campaign of co-option, indoctrination and silencing of key individuals and institutions. Many media professionals were lured by the offer of intensive certification program in journalism, first class hospitality, and generous stipends. Likewise, some officials in the security sector, parliament, civil societies and the political elite.


Ever since the reemergence of the Ethiopian occupation, all key officials in the armed forces, all governors, and ministers with overt sense of patriotism were systematically removed or permanently silenced. The former are often attributed to cockamamie political issues; and the latter to al Shabaab.

These individuals are, by and large, at liberty to scrutinize the government but not the specter of Ethiopian domination.


In today’s camouflaged occupation, Ethiopia has perhaps outdone its own expectation. It now controls all of the strategic seaports except Mogadishu and its troops are present in almost all of Somalia.

Proudly savoring the success of his country’s stealth takeover of Somalia, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said his troops already control “more than 60 percent of Somali territory.” He swiftly offered to replace the 850 Sierra Leone contingent that was based in one of the most important strategic seaports (Kismayo) which is part of Jubbaland federal-state that has a president of its own. This contingent has abruptly left only after 20 months, though AMISOM soldiers are paid as high as ten times the monies they make in their respective countries. As such, many African soldiers covet the opportunity. Some AMISOM soldiers were reported to intentionally play softball with Al Shabaab in order to prolong their military tour in Somalia for the over generous salaries they receive.

But what makes the matter even more questionable is the fact that Ethiopia, as the “Guarantor” of the Jubbaland Compromise Agreement, which stipulates the integration of the militia group under the command of President Ahmed Islaan Madoobe and the Somali government forces, would not want to make good on an agreement that it engineered and brokered.

Could it be because of its clandestine security arrangement with Kenya whose forces, as mentioned before, are about to retreat? In his own way, Kenya's Deputy President has confirmed that in a recent interview. Kenya’s interest to annex part of Jubbaland for a “buffer zone” in order to tip the scale on its illegal claim to Somali waters is widely covered.

another piracy justifying somalian

 

[Zibago]

@Shamain @WAJsal @engineer saad
Piracy apologists on this thread and @waz bhai i think this thread has graphic content