Britain calls for more troops in Somalia

KAMPALA (Reuters) - Britain on Friday threw its weight behind calls for more African troops to be sent to Somalia to battle Islamist rebels, whose suicide attacks in Uganda last week killed 73 people watching the World Cup final.An African Union (AU) summit in the Ugandan capital Kampala, planned before the attacks, has put the Somali crisis at the top of its agenda and more than 30 African heads of state are under pressure to act on the failed state.Central to discussions at the summit is the mandate of an AU peacekeeping force of 6,300 troops, which is protecting Somalia's besieged government. Delegates told Reuters a cap of 8,100 on troop levels would likely be lifted during the meeting."We certainly welcome an increase in numbers," Britain's minister for Africa, Henry Bellingham, told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the summit. "We said yes to (lifting the restriction on troop numbers). Absolutely."The AU force may also be given permission to attack the rebels -- it can now only fight when engaged. Bellingham warned the move could backfire."We are cautious about that because we're worried about possible collateral damage," he said. "We have to balance the military option with the moves that are also afoot to try and find some political progress."Somalia's near powerless Western-backed government is hemmed into a few streets of the capital Mogadishu. Troops from Uganda and Burundi make up the AU force -- al Shabaab said that was why it attacked Kampala.Al Shabaab -- meaning "the youth" in Arabic -- controls huge swathes of central and southern Somalia and is fighting to overthrow the government. Last week's bombings were the group's first strike outside Somalia.A U.S. counterterrorism official this week told Reuters that, after the Kampala attack, his government now favoured "aggressive action" against al Shabaab and would increase funding to AMISOM. He did not rule out bombings by U.S. drones.Delegates from around the continent are facing renewed pressure behind the scenes at the summit to pledge troops to AMISOM. AU officials told Reuters that South Africa was negotiating a significant deployment of troops.The AU said on Friday that Guinea would send a battalion of troops to join AMISOM.
ERITREA'S ROLE?
The only nation to be punished for its role in the Somali crisis, Eritrea, made an unexpected visit to the summit despite suspending its membership of the AU last year after the AU called for sanctions against the African nation.In December the United Nations imposed the punitive measures, accusing Eritrea of funding and arming Islamist rebels in Somalia. Bellingham said the international pressure may have told on the small Red Sea state."We just had a meeting with the Eritrean foreign minister. The fact that they have come does show that they don't want to be completely ostracised," he said.Bellingham said the much-maligned nation could play an important role in the peace process in Somalia, citing their alleged links with insurgents."We don't have any time for their regime but they are an important frontline player," he said. "They claim to be very close to al Shabaab, it goes without saying that they might have some influence to bear that other countries don't."Eritrea has consistently denied it has ever funded, lent logistical support or provided weapons to any group fighting an insurgency in Somalia.Last month Eritrea and Djibouti resolved a two-year border dispute, which surprised many analysts who saw it an uncharacteristic attempt by Eritrea to mend bridges with the international community six months after the sanctions.