Mogadishu, Somalia (AHN) - Uganda and Burundi, the only African Union nations contributing troops to the conflict in Somalia, on Saturday pledged to send an additional 4,000 troops to Somalia as part of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia."Each country has pledged a further 2,000 troops and anticipate an efficient deployment around the middle of the year," a statement from AMISOM said.
Somali government forces backed by AMISOM troops, right now control over 60 percent of Somalia's seaside capital of Mogadishu, according to the AU peacekeeping mission.The announcement of extra AU forces comes two days after Maj. Gen. Godefroid Niyombare and Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, chiefs of defense forces for Burundi and Uganda, visited the AMISOM force in Mogadishu."There is no peace to keep here, so each and every day our forces support the transitional federal government (TFG) to expand their control of Mogadishu," it added.During their historic visit to Mogadishu, the military leaders told the Somali government that AMISOM is committed to bring peace and stability back to the country.Burundi has already deployed one battalion (1,000 soldiers), but the remaining 3,000 soldiers would be deployed around the middle of the year.In late February, the Somali army supported by AMISOM forces launched coordinated attacks against Somalia's al Qaeda-inspired group and confiscated key military positions.Burundian forces took most of the casualties after more than 10 of their soldiers, who died in the operations, were displayed by the militias of al Shabaab.AMISOM officials admitted some of their soldiers were killed in recent battles, declining to say the figure.
Somali government forces backed by AMISOM troops, right now control over 60 percent of Somalia's seaside capital of Mogadishu, according to the AU peacekeeping mission.The announcement of extra AU forces comes two days after Maj. Gen. Godefroid Niyombare and Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, chiefs of defense forces for Burundi and Uganda, visited the AMISOM force in Mogadishu."There is no peace to keep here, so each and every day our forces support the transitional federal government (TFG) to expand their control of Mogadishu," it added.During their historic visit to Mogadishu, the military leaders told the Somali government that AMISOM is committed to bring peace and stability back to the country.Burundi has already deployed one battalion (1,000 soldiers), but the remaining 3,000 soldiers would be deployed around the middle of the year.In late February, the Somali army supported by AMISOM forces launched coordinated attacks against Somalia's al Qaeda-inspired group and confiscated key military positions.Burundian forces took most of the casualties after more than 10 of their soldiers, who died in the operations, were displayed by the militias of al Shabaab.AMISOM officials admitted some of their soldiers were killed in recent battles, declining to say the figure.
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