Rapid African peacekeeping mission urged to stabilise Somalia

The United States called today for a rapid deployment of African peacekeeping mission to Somalia to prevent a dangerous security vacuum.

US Ambassador Michael said a quick deployment of African troops will also allow Ethiopian forces to withdraw.

“Deploying an African stabilisation force into Somalia quickly is vitally important to support efforts to achieve stability,” he said in a local newspaper opinion piece.

So far no one on the continent has responded to the call for 8,000 African peacekeepers for Somalia, although Uganda has indicated it is willing to deploy 1,500 peacekeepers as part of a wider mission.

The ambassador’s comments came amid continued unrest in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

Gunmen threw a grenade into a hotel last night killing a government soldier, Somali lawmaker Jini Boqor, who saw the incident, told The Associated Press. The hotel is used by Somalia’s police chief.

Since Tuesday there have been at least three attacks against government forces and their Ethiopian allies killing five, eyewitnesses in the capital said.