By Daniel Bases
Tuesday, Augus 19, 2008

A unanimous resolution also asked U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to work with the AU to strengthen U.N. logistical, political and technical support to help bring the African Union Mission in Somalia, or AMISOM, up to U.N. standards.

Somalia has been mired in anarchy since warlords overthrew a dictator in 1991. The waters off the Horn of Africa country are considered among the most dangerous in the world for shipping because of rife piracy.

The peace agreement, which was initialed June 9 in Djibouti and signed Monday, has been rejected by hard-liners and done little to quell violence.

More than 8,000 civilians have been killed and 1 million uprooted in fighting since early last year pitting President Abdullahi Yusuf's interim administration and allied Ethiopian forces against Islamist rebels.

Last month the AU said it was incapable of stabilizing the situation in Somalia and urged the United Nations to take over peacekeeping operations. The world body has been cautious of stepping in in before some kind of peace is established.

AMISOM has authorized the deployment of 8,000 troops but has only 2,600 on the ground.

Nigeria said last week it would deploy a battalion of 850 officers and soldiers to Somalia in the next few weeks to join existing AMISOM forces. AMISOM is made up of soldiers from Uganda and Burundi.

AMISOM was meant to replace Ethiopian troops whose presence inflamed the insurgency because they helped Somalia's government dislodge an Islamist movement at the start of 2007.

A shortage of funds and the violence raging in the capital Mogadishu have prompted several nations to reconsider their offers of troops.

The Security Council's resolution stated a willingness to consider at an appropriate time "a peacekeeping operation to take over from AMISOM, subject to progress in the political process and improvement in the security situation on the ground." (Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: Reuters, Aug 19, 2008

runta sheeg @ 8/20/2008 8:08 AM EST  xeer-soomaaligu wuxuu qorayaa in dumarka ka tirsan yihiin oo ay laf-dhabar u yihiin bulshada soomaaliyeed, balse dhaqankii carabta ee waayadan dambe diinta marmarsiinyaha looga dhigtay weeye waxa dumarka soomaaliyeed ka dhigay kuwo aan waxbarasho loo ogoleyn, ka qayb-qaadan karin aayaha iyo talooyinka dalkooda khuseeya, ka dhigay dumarka wax la yaso oo si hoos ahaaneed loo eego iyo waliba waxyaabo badan oo carabta gooni u ahaan jirey oo hadda anaga nagu soo fatahay. soomaalidu waxay diinta ISLAAMKA haysatay carab ka hor haddaba, anaga oo ka taariikh dheer carab, ka tayo fiican carab, ka dhaqan duwan carab, ka sinjiyad duwan carab, ka af duwan carab iyo waliba ka firfircoon carab, ayaa waxaa waayadan dambe dalkeena yimid kooxo soo guuriyey tafaraaruqa carab caanka ku tahay ee xataa diintii ku fiday, kii baa anaga noo yimid oo waxaynu u haysannaa DIIN ISLAAM xalka waa mid fudud. carabkii soomaaliya lagu arko iyo wixii dhaqan carbeed wada waa in la dilaa oo la ugaadhsado loona ugaadhsado sida itoobiyaanka dagaalka loogu hayo

shanta @ 8/20/2008 7:45 AM EST  Extension after extension, and the promise of many more to come! The UN needs come clean and increase the number of troops in Somalia ASAP.

abdul_patriot @ 8/20/2008 2:55 AM EST  AFRICAN UNION THE MOST CORRUPT,INEFFECTIVE AND DISPICABLE MULTILATERAL BODY ...THEY DISGUST ME WE DONT WANT THERE UGLY UNEDUCATED SOLDIERS WHO LACK DISCIPILINE. WE CAN SOLVE OUR OWN PROBLEMS..THE FACT IS EVERYTIME THINGS START TO  GO GOOD FOR SOMALIA ...THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY REBUTTS IT BECASUE A NATIONALIST SOMALI GOVERMENT IS NOTY IN THEIR INTEREST..SO T'HELL WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND AFRICAN UNION SPECIFICALLY