UN urges increase in Somalia force to 12,000

The U.N. Security Council urged the African Union on Friday to increase its 9,000-strong force in Somalia to its U.N.-mandated level of 12,000 troops to help improve security in the capital, Mogadishu.
It did not, however, agree to the African Union's request to raise the size of the force to 20,000 troops.
In a resolution adopted unanimously, the council also called on Somalia's transitional government to carry out a roadmap leading to elections within a year. The deal, signed earlier this month, includes drafting a new constitution, carrying out security and governance reforms, and holding talks with armed opposition groups.
The council urged the government "to remain united and redouble its efforts to complete the priority tasks and goals agreed on in the roadmap, paving the ground for a better future for Somalis."
Somalia has had transitional administrations for the past seven years, but has not had a functioning central government since 1991 when warlords overthrew a longtime dictator and then turned on each other, plunging fthe impoverished country into chaos.
The transitional government, backed by African Union troops, has been fighting against al-Shabab insurgents. The Islamic militants abandoned Mogadishu in early August but still hold most of southern Somalia, where tens of thousands are believed to have starved to death and tens of thousands more have fled _ or tried to flee _ in hopes of finding food.
The council stressed "the terrorist threat" that al-Shabab and other armed opposition groups and foreign fighters pose for Somalia and the the international community.
It welcomed recent security improvements in Mogadishu and urged the transitional government to adopt a plan to stabilize the capital that includes the provision of basic services.
A year ago, the African Union called for an expansion of its force to 20,000 troops and said Uganda was ready to provide the soldiers if donors came up with the money. The current force includes only troops from Uganda and Burundi.
The council said in Friday's resolution the AU should first increase the force to the current 12,000 ceiling. When it reaches that level, the council said it will consider "the possible need" to raise the ceiling.
Somalia's U.N. Ambassador Elmi Ahmed Duale expressed concern at the council's failure to increase the force now.
"The Somali security forces are overextended at this moment and are contained only in Mogadishu," he told the council after the vote. "It is of urgency to enlarge and improve the Somalian armed forces and police."
The United Nations, which has based most of its Somalia operations in neighboring Kenya, has been increasing its presence in the country _ a move welcomed by the council. It urged "a more permanent and increasing presence ... in particular in Mogadishu, consistent with the security conditions."
The Security Council agreed that the increase in U.N. organizations and staff in Mogadishu was placing additional pressure on the AU force, known as AMISOM, for security, escort and protection services.
It encouraged the U.N. and the AU to establish "a guard force of an appropriate size" within AMISOM's 12,000-troop mandate to carry out these duties for personnel from the U.N. and the international community.
The AU had also called for its troops to be paid at the same scale as U.N. peacekeepers. The council didn't approve that but it did increase U.N. logistical support for AMISOM.
But Somali's Duale told the council that "critical gaps" remain in the support package "which continue to impact the effectiveness of the mission."