During a visit to the Great Lakes area, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, the African Union’s Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security paid homage to Burundian troops who died while serving in Somalia.
In the presence of former Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye, who is now a member of the AU advisory panel, he lay a floral wreath on one of the AU peace battalion’s graves in acknowledgment of Burundi’s participation in this mission.
“We use this occasion to pay respect to all the warriors who have died on the battlefield in the pursuit of peace on the continent,” Ambassador Bankole added.
At the same time, we would want to pay respect to the Burundians who have lately died in Somalia in the pursuit of peace.
This homage comes only a few weeks after six Burundian troops were killed in a terrorist assault on El Baraaf, a post of the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). According to government accounts, the assault killed 10 troops, injured 25, and killed 50 terrorists.
The relatives of the victims are now claiming that compensation has been delayed. Alain-Tribert Mutabazi, the Minister of National Defense of Burundi, has guaranteed prompt payment.
“We would want and expect that this compensation or indemnity comes or is paid on the accounts of the qualified folks as soon as possible,” stated Alain-Tribert Mutabazi, Burundian Minister of National Defense.
Burundi contributes roughly 5,000 soldiers to ATMIS, which has almost 20,000 military, police, and civilian personnel from five African nations. ATMIS officially succeeded the African peacekeeping force in Somalia (Amisom) with a mandate extended by the United Nations Security Council in late March until the end of 2024 to stabilize the nation in the face of the terrorist organization al-insurgency. Shabab’s
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