The U.N. Security Council urged Somalia’s government yesterday to organize elections without delay in a resolution that stressed the pressing threat to the country’s security from al-Shabab and armed opposition groups. The resolution, which was adopted unanimously, authorized the African Union to maintain its nearly 20,000-strong force in Somalia until the end of the year with a mandate to reduce the threat from the extremist groups to enable a stable, federal, sovereign and united Somalia. The U.N.’s most powerful body said its objective is to transfer security to Somali authorities, with the aim of Somalia taking the lead in 2021, and achieving full responsibility by the end of 2023.
The resolution’s adoption came amid growing pressure on Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed after scheduled elections on 8th of last month failed to take place because of the lack of agreement on how the vote should be carried out.