Hiiraan Online
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Somalia’s President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed has visited Ethiopia and Djibouti and is currently in Kampala, Uganda. It is believed that he is seeking political and military support from East African nations.
In the AU leaders’ meeting in Libya last week, AU leaders promised their support for the TFG and promised that the number of AU peacekeepers in Somalia will be increased to 8,000. The AU leaders also proposed expanding
the mandate of AU peacekeepers from only defending themselves and guarding some strategic locations in the capital to being proactively participating in repelling insurgent attacks that have weakened the TFG’s ability to
defend itself.
After meeting with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Melez Zenawi, the President said that he discussed Ethiopia’s Prime Minister about how the number of AU peacekeepers can be increased and their mandate be broadened.
The President also said that the Somali people support the TFG because they trust that the TFG is working to restore security, peace, and law and order to the country. He also highlighted that the situation in country in the
last two days has been relatively calm.
The President is expected to fly to Kenya after the end of his visit in Uganda before he returns to Somalia.