Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Uganda to Stay in Somalia



Mogadishu,-The Commander of the Land Forces Lt Gen Katumba Wamala says the UPDF Forces will stay in Somalia as long as they are requested to do so by the African Union and the United Nations. This follows growing pressure for the United Nations to take over peace keeping in Somalia from the African Union mission.Recently, the Commissioner for Peace and Security in the African Union, Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra released a statement saying the African Union mission to Somalia is increasingly unable to fulfill its mandate because of its poor strength, in addition to little funding and logistical support.Lt Gen Wamala says the UPDF Forces will remain in Somalia undertaking the African Union peace keeping mandate until asked to step aside by the AU or the UN. Uganda has contributed 1,800 of the 2,600 African Union peace keeping troops in Somalia, with Burindi providing 800 troops. But the 2,600 peace keeping troops are too short of the 8,000 troops the AU mission needed for the Somalia peace keeping mission. Many of the countries who promised to send troops as part of the African Union peace keeping mission- AMISON are yet top do so.

No comments:

Post a Comment