Regional bloc Igad has mandated Somalia and Djibouti to deploy troops to South Sudan to safeguard security and the implementation of the peace agreement.
The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad), in a statement to the media on Monday afternoon, said Somalia and Djibouti have been endorsed by the regional bloc to be among the South Sudan peace guarantors.
The endorsement was made during the Igad Extra-Ordinary Summit held in Addis Ababa on September 12.
“Igad shall request the UN Security Council to review its mandate on deployment of regional protection force to South Sudan and allow Sudan, Uganda, Djibouti and Somalia as guarantors, to contribute forces to enhance the protection and security,” the Igad statement reads.
“The Summit resolves that Igad shall engage the UN Security Council to ensure that the Regional Protection Force (RPF) is fully deployed to execute its mandate in accordance with the UNSC Resolutions 2304/16 and 2406/18.”
Somalia is one of the most fragile states in the region and tops the list of security worst-hit countries on the continent. Its security has been mostly guaranteed by the African Union peace keepers deployed by Kenya, Uganda and Burundi.
