Kenyan Government Seeks Payment for Military Operations in Somalia

Kenyan Defense Forces occupying the Horn of Africa nation of Somalia. The Kenyan government has invaded their neighbor in conjunction with an imperialist onslaught into the strategic state., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Kenya Seeks Reimbursement for Peacekeeping Efforts in Somalia

24 JANUARY 2013

Kenyan Ambassador to the United Nations Macharia Kamau has called on the international body to reimburse Kenya for its military contribution to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Kenya's Daily Nation reported Wednesday (January 23rd).

The United Nations agreed to pay Kenya 11.5 billion shillings ($131 million) by July, but has paid only 82.4 million shillings ($941,000) so far, the newspaper reported.

"Countries spend significant amounts of money preparing troops, maintaining readiness and deploying expensive equipment to support given mandates," Kamau told members of the UN Security Council, adding that incomplete or delayed reimbursement would be "unacceptable and unsustainable".

Troops from the Kenya Defence Forces integrated into AMISOM in March 2012, after entering Somalia in October 2011 to fight al-Shabaab. Kenya also sought reimbursement last year for AMISOM-related expenses.