UN extends Amisom's stay in Somalia to support the political process in the country

A Ugandan soldier serving with Amisom holds a rocket-propelled grenade launcher on the frontline near the main road on the northern edge of Maslah Town, the northern city limit of the Somali capital Mogadishu, in Somalia.

The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) until March 30, 2016 to support the political process in the country.

A communique' posted on AMISOM Daily Media Monitoring Thursday states that the 15-nations council also re-authorised the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) until May 30, 2016.

Under Amisom, Kenya, Djibouti, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Burundi have deployed military forces in Somalia to fight Al Shabaab and protect the country's weak transitional government. Ethiopia has also deployed forces in Somalia for the same purpose.

Kenya sent its forces into Somalia in 2011. President Uhuru Kenyatta has resisted Opposition's calls to withdraw the military from Somalia, saying Al Shabaab, which has stepped up attacks inside Kenya, has not been defeated.

The UN resolution came following an attack by Al Shabaab militants on a hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia on Sunday. More than 10 people died, including one member of security staff from the Chinese Embassy.

The militant group said the attack was to retaliate against the recent operations by AU and Somali forces in the southern Somali regions of Dinsoor and Bardhere and that they targeted the hotel because it houses 'Western' embassies coordinating the offensive.

In May, UNSOM's mandate had been extended by the council to August 7. The mission was established in 2013 to provide the UN 'good offices' functions and a range of strategic policy advice in support of the Somali government's peace and reconciliation process.

The resolution also said the council agrees that the conditions in Somalia are not appropriate for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission until the end of 2016 at the earliest and requested the UN Secretary General to keep revised benchmarks for a peacekeeping mission under continuous review. In a recent briefing to the Security Council, assistant Secretary General Edmond Mulet said a UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia would be a 'high-risk undertaking,' considering the threats posed by Al Shabaab militants despite advances made by the Amisom.

Recently, Amisom has resumed military offensives against Al Shabaab. Amisom Deputy Force Commander Operations and Plans Major General Mohammedesha Zeyinu said the aim of the operation named 'Operation Jubba Corridor' is to eliminate insurgents in the few rural areas it still occupies.