Somalia asks peacekeepers to slow withdrawal, fears Islamist resurgence

FILE - Burundian African Union Mission in Somalia peacekeepers stand next to an armored vehicle as they prepare to leave the Jaale Siad Military Academy after being replaced by the Somali military in Mogadishu, Somalia, Feb. 28, 2019. FILE - Burundian African Union Mission in Somalia peacekeepers stand in formation during a ceremony as they prepare to leave the Jaale Siad Military Academy after being replaced by the Somali military in Mogadishu, Somalia, Feb. 28, 2019. FILE - A Somali security officer holds a position on their open truck near Syl Hotel, the scene of an al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group's attack in Mogadishu, Somalia, March 15, 2024.

Somalia's government is seeking to slow the withdrawal of African peacekeepers and warning of a potential security vacuum, documents seen by Reuters show, with neighboring countries fretting that resurgent al-Shabaab militants could seize power.