Speaking in Uganda Friday, AU chairman Alpha Omar Konare voiced concern about the worsening violence in Mogadishu and the group's slow progress in creating the 8,000 peacekeeping force it has proposed.
He appealed for more contributions from AU members, saying they are needed immediately to secure the Somali capital.
Mogadishu's streets were relatively calm Friday as Ethiopian and Somali troops searched for any remaining insurgents.
There was was at least one incident of looting, with men in army uniforms stealing computers and other property from a Coca-Cola bottling plant.
Somali Transitional Federal Soldiers with an anti aircraft gun mounted on the pickup and soldiers carrying AK 47's in the street of Mogadishu, 27 Apr 2007
A local group tracking casualties, the Elman Human Rights Organization, says about 400 people died in the past nine days as allied government and Ethiopian forces carried out an offensive against the insurgents.
Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi announced Thursday that allied forces had seized a large portion of rebel-controlled territory. He claimed victory over the insurgents in an interview with the Associated Press.
Ethiopian troops entered Somalia last year to help the interim government drive a rival Islamist movement from power. Insurgents began attacking government targets in January, soon after Islamist leaders vowed to continue fighting.
Peacekeepers will only come to Somalia when there is a sign of peace on the ground . It is very regretable and sad that we don't allow others help us and we are not helping ourselves to bring peace and stability in our country
hashi86 @
4/28/2007 4:51 PM EST
Enough is Enough we should accept african troops cuz Ethiopians are our Enemy if they leave am sure we will have good realtion with the african peacekeepers By any how the Somali Goverment will not Continue any longer when the Ethiopains leave
Somalia1977 @
4/28/2007 12:00 PM EST
No Africans would come as long as Ethiopians are present in the Capital and Killing people. I don't blame Africans because they care about their lives.
