(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, April 17 (KUNA) -- The Political and Security Committee of the Council of the EU has approved 70 million euros to the resources to support the Somali National Army (SNA) and the military component of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
Both actions aim to contribute to the handover of security responsibilities from ATMIS to SNA, by allowing the former to fulfil its mandate while strengthening the capacities of the latter, said the EU council in a press statement.
For ATMIS, the agreed support would mostly contribute to the troop allowances of the African soldiers deployed in Somalia, over the period July 1, 2021 - December 31, 2023, previous support under the EPF amounted to 270 million euros.
As for SNA, it would focus on the provision of non-lethal equipment, previous support to the SNA under the EPF amounts to 50 million euros.
The EU is the largest direct contributor to ATMIS with nearly 2.7 billion euros since 2007.
In line with the EU's integrated approach to the external conflicts and crises, EPF funding for ATMIS was one element of a broader, coordinated and coherent engagement of the EU to support security and peace in Somalia, and in the Horn of Africa at large.
It was notably paired with capacity-building support to the SNA, with the aim of allowing a handover of security responsibilities, the EU support to Somalia in this regard was in line with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and with the Somali Transition Plan.
Currently, the support for the military component of ATMIS and for the SNA were financed under the Assistance Measure in support of African-led Peace Support Operations that's worth 600 million euros under the EPF covering from 2022-2024. (end)
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