Monday, March 26, 2007
Uganda has deployed some 1,500 peacekeepers in the lawless country, the first of an expected 8,000-strong AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) force meant to help the transitional government (TFG) restore stability after it ousted militants of the Union of Islamic Courts, who are now blamed for the unabated violence in the capital Mogadishu.
Despite a few hiccups the Ugandan troops have faced in Somalia, they have started to register some successes, said General Aronda Nyakairima, the chief of the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF), Lt. Gen. Katumba Wamala, the Commander of the Land Forces of the UPDF and Crispus Kiyonga, minister of defense to the press.
"Our mission in Somalia is not a quick fix mission, it is not something we are going to handle in a few days but we are committed as a force to see that we do what we are mandated to do, " said Lt. Gen. Wamala.
"This mission is worthwhile; it is a challenge to the AU and the African people as to whether they are mature enough to handle their own problems," he added.
Gen. Nyakairima said the current violence is only in a few parts of Mogadishu but other areas are relatively calm.
"There are some parts in Mogadishu that are facing some problems like northern Mogadishu in areas of Makara market, industrial road and some abandoned stadium. But the other parts like west and central Mogadishu are safe," he said.
"Somalia is not hell on earth, there is light at the end of the tunnel. There will be stability in Somalia and this stability will be championed by the Somali people themselves," he asserted.
The generals and the minister said the AU contingent commander is trying to establish some linkages with warlords with a view of arguing them to dialogue with the Somali transitional government.
"We do not want to take a confrontational approach with the warlords but we are trying to enable them to get into dialogue with the transitional government and the rest of the Somali community," Wamala said.
They said they are now completing their first phase of operation in Mogadishu which mainly involved settling in and securing the logistical lines like the airport and the seaport.
"More or less, we have completed our first phase. We have also taken over the security of the Somali president," said Wamala.
"We have also taken over K4, a junction which commands access to most of the vital areas in the capital," he added.
He said the next phase will be to secure the transitional government to be able to operate as government.
Minister Kiyonga said the Ugandan government, through diplomatic channels, is contacting Eritrea which is reported to be against the presence of the Ugandan peacekeepers in Somalia.
"It should be noted that the Eritrean government is bound by a decision by the AU and the UN to support the AU peace mission in Somalia. We expect it to comply," he said.
Somalia has lacked an effective central authority since the 1991 ouster of military strongman Mohamed Siad Barre.
Source: Xinhua, Mar 25, 2007