Malawi troops set for Somalia
22/01/2007 13:58  - (SA)  

Want to know more? Answerit can help.

Ugandan MPs okay Somali force Ugandan MPs okay Somali force More troops 'needed in Somalia' More troops 'needed in Somalia' Somali hit-and-run attacks kill 6 Somali hit-and-run attacks kill 6 Somalia: Troops deployment 'ok' Somalia: Troops deployment 'ok' Send army to Somalia, SA asked Send army to Somalia, SA asked

Blantyre - Malawi plans to deploy troops to Somalia as part of a proposed African Union peacekeeping mission, says the defence minister.

Davies Katsonga said the southern African country was still deciding whether to send a whole battalion or half a battalion, depending on other countries' contributions to the initiative.

Katsonga said the situation in Somalia was a matter of "urgency", since Ethiopian troops were "moving out within weeks".

He said: "They will leave a vacuum. That is why the African Union wants us to move in as soon as possible."

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, whose country's troops routed militia forces loyal to the fundamentalist Islamic courts, was anxious to withdraw his forces and had urged other countries to contribute to an AU peacekeeping mission.

On Friday, the AU peace and security council approved a plan to send 8 000 African peacekeepers to Somalia for a six-month mission that would eventually be taken over by the United Nations.

Katsonga said the UN would meet the logistical costs of the deployment. Malawi had peacekeeping troops in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, Congo and Kosovo.

What is this? Yahoo Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Brought to you by OUTsurance Car Insurance
	News24 Headlines on your Facebook profile		News24 on mobile