Wetangula appeals for more military aid in Somalia

African states have been urged to deploy more soldiers to war-torn Somalia in order to restore peace.Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula said although some states pledged to send peace keeping forces to the Horn of Africa country only Uganda and Burundi had done so. Mr Wetangula said the Africa Union (AU) had recommended that 8,000 soldiers be deployed to Somalia to assist in taming the raging war but currently only 3,500 are on the ground. He noted that the civil war in Somalia has triggered insecurity in Kenya and other neighbouring states owing to proliferation of small arms.The minister said lack of rule of law in the neighbouring country has fuelled an upsurge in piracy which has crippled sea transport in the continent."The AU must be bold enough by prevailing upon states which pledged to deploy peace keeping forces to Somalia to urgently do so in efforts to restore peace," Mr Wetangula said.He added: "Since the AU made the recommendation only Uganda and Burundi have deployed 3,500 soldiers. More peace keeping forces are needed to bring order in the battered country."Mr Wetangula proposed that the AU peace keeping forces currently in Somalia be given the mandate to enforce security so as to root out threats from warlords.
"Time has come for the peace keeping forces in Somalia to be given the authority to stamp out insecurity in the country. There is no way the soldiers can maintain peace when fighting, and killings, continue unabated," he said.,,more..http://www.nation.co.ke/Mombasa/-/519978/623344/-/n88j3n/-/index.html