The Effectiveness of the Disarmament Exercise by Amisom in Somalia

The conflict in Somalia has seen an increase in insecurity, deaths, displacement of civilian populations, and breakdown of infrastructure and creeping in of lawlessness because of emergence of clan warlords and lately increased insurgency from the Al-Shabaab Militia. This has led to majority of the civilian population acquiring arms illegally for their protection. The study sought to investigate the effectiveness of the disarmament exercise by African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) between 2007 and 2016. The study was based on the theory of conflict transformation. The study utilized primary data, which was collected using structured questionnaires and interview schedules. The unit of analysis constituted a sample size of 100 respondents drawn from the military, police, and civilian components of AMISOM and Somali civilian population working within Halane Base Camp, with a combined target population of 24, 643. Quantitative data was descriptively analyzed using the percentages and qualitative data was analyzed using themes emerging from the data. The study found out that effectiveness of intervention strategies by the AMISOM forces in Somalia is not significantly influenced by their nationality. The research findings of this study are pointer that the nationality of various AMISOM forces takes no toll on the peacekeeping operations in Somalia. The study recommends that it is important for the African Union to establish proper and reliable funding mechanisms in support of AMISOM operations to reduce overdependence on donor and external support.