NAIROBI, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan and Djibouti leaders on Thursday vowed to continue safeguarding peace and stability in the Horn of Africa region, specifically in Somalia, under the aegis of regional bloc and the African Union.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Djibouti counterpart Omar Guelleh called for enhanced and sustainable funding for the Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to facilitate the delivery of the Mission's mandate.
"Both leaders noted that al-Shabab continues to pose significant threat to Somalia and the region," they said in a joint communique issued at the end of a three-day visit by President Guelleh in Kenya.
Both Kenya and Djibouti are troop contributing countries under AMISOM which has been fighting the militant group in the Horn of Africa nation.
The two leaders expressed concern at the continued lukewarm international support for Somalia, in particular inadequate and unpredictable funding for AMISOM, which threatens to roll back the gains made thus far.
They committed to continue lobbying for adequate and sustainable support to AMISOM, including provision of force multipliers for the Mission in Somalia, as well as training for the Somalia Security forces.
"The leaders expressed deep concern at the effects of external interests that are destabilizing Somalia further," they said.
Guelleh who arrived in Kenya on Tuesday and his host, Kenyatta, also expressed their desire to see a faster pace in ongoing efforts to restore peace in South Sudan.
They urged leaders of South Sudan to place the interests of their people above their own in order to give peace a chance.
South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar led to split within the SPLA, leaving soldiers to fight alongside ethnic lines.
The 2015 peace agreement to end the conflict was weakened after the outbreak of renewed fighting in July 2016.
