Somali peacekeeping mission will go ahead despite current troop shortfall, says official

Wednesday, January 31st 2007, 5:44 am

By: News On 6

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) _ Three battalions of peacekeepers from Uganda and Nigeria are ready to be deployed in Somalia and will be airlifted in as soon as possible, a senior AU official said Wednesday.

The African Union was pressing ahead with its peacekeeping mission to Somalia despite securing only half the 8,000 troops needed at a key summit of African leaders that ended Tuesday. The hope is the African force will prevent a routed Islamic movement from taking advantage of a power vacuum created by the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces who have been supporting Somalia's internationally recognized government.

The three battalions were to go in as an initial deployment, the senior official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The official added securing the 8,000 troops would not be difficult. The main challenge, he said, was raising the estimated $34 million a month to pay for the mission.

The EU has pledged $20 million for a peacekeeping force and $40 million in overall support has been offered by the U.S. The U.S. also has pledged to offer airlift support.

Speaking at the end of the two-day African Union summit late Tuesday, the new AU chairman, Ghanaian President John Kufuor, said several nations including his own had pledged troops but so far they only had 4,000 of the 8,000 troops needed.

``I expect many more countries from Africa will contribute,'' he told journalists. ``We need a force of 8,000. We are strapped for resources but we cannot resign ourselves to the indignities and sufferings that our people have been afflicted with. The deployment will commence as soon as possible.''

Kenya's ambassador to the AU, Franklin Espeela, said raising the required number of troops was possible.

``Every African leader is united on this issue,'' the ambassador told the AP by telephone. ``The mission will be possible. It's just a question of time because many leaders cannot just commit troops, they have to go to their elected governments to seek approval for such measures.''

So far five nations _ Uganda, Nigeria, Malawi Burundi and Ghana _ have pledged troops, the top U.S. diplomat for Africa, Jendayi Frazer, told reporters at the summit.

On Tuesday, Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf agreed to a national reconciliation conference. He had been pressed to take such a step by African governments considering sending peacekeepers. Yusuf said the conference would include former political, religious and clan leaders.

The U.S., EU and U.N. have all urged Yusuf to include moderate Islamic leaders from the ousted movement in his administration. But many senior officials in Yusuf's administration oppose the talks because they fear their jobs could go to Islamic leaders as a way of winning widespread support for the government.

The Islamic movement, which had controlled the capital and much of southern Somalia, was crushed in December by government forces with key backing from Ethiopian soldiers, tanks and warplanes. Remnants of the movement, though, have continued attacks and clan clashes also have broken out. Somalia's interim government has begun imposing martial law, the Somali prime minister said late Tuesday.

Ethiopia says it does not have the resources to stay as a peacekeeping force and already has begun withdrawing.