Uganda to drive 4,000 additional troops to Somalia

Written by solomon

Saturday, 07 May 2011 11:39

Ambassador of Uganda to Ethiopia, Mull Sebujja Katende, said that his country plans to send 4,000 more troops to Somalia following the request from AU and TFG. Ambassador Katende said that the troops would strengthen the African Union Mission in Somali (AMISOM) and TFG in fighting against the insurgents being supported by external anti-peace forces. “The situation in Somalia is not only the problem of the Somali people but it is also a problem of the whole African continent and that is why my government is going to send more troops in that country,” he said. Uganda has a large number of troops that give support for the United Nations backed Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and African Union Mission in Somali (AMISOM). Africans and the international community need to pay due attention to the situations in Somalia and step up efforts to stop anti-peace groups that undermine peace in the country, he said. The TFG blames the Eritrean government for arming, financing and providing logistic to the Al Qaida linked Al Shabaab to undermine peace and security in the Horn of African country. Al-Shabaab supported by the Eritrean government is currently deterring efforts of Ethiopia, Burundi, Uganda, Nigeria and other peace loving countries to bring stability in Somalia, he said. Al Shabaab also receives strong support from Al-Qaida, he said, “and the death of its leader Osama Bin Laden is a good news for the world in general and the Horn of Africa in particular in weakening Shabaab’s evil acts.” “Al-Qaida was behind the bomb blasts that occurred at various times in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda,” he added. The strength of Al-Shabaab is directly linked to Al-Qaida and the death of bin Laden would mean a lot in assisting the efforts being made to fetch peace in Somalia, he concluded.