Peacekeeping begins in Somalia

MOGADISHU – Amid pomp and fanfare, the first plane carrying African Union peacekeepers from Uganda landed in the lawless Somali capital Mogadishu yesterday to begin one of the most arduous tasks in the history of peacekeeping.

The Russian-made Antonov 736 landed in Mogadishu International Airport under heavy security in the presence of top government officials and warlords who controlled the seaside capital. The plane, carrying military hardware and several army officers, was received by Somali armed forces chief of staff general Abdullahi Omar Ali and military commanders from Ethiopia.There were white Armoured Personel Carriers (APC) marked AMISOM, for African Union Mission to Somalia.Bands belted out Somali and Uganda national anthems at the bullet-charred facility that has been the target of mortar and rocket shells in recent weeks.Last week, an advance team of about 30 Ugandan officers slipped into relatively peaceful Baidoa, the seat of government about 250 km northwest of Mogadishu.This was the first such venture since Operation Restore Hope, the ill-fated UN-backed, US-led peace mission launched in December 1992.During the first six months of that mission many civilians, 24 Pakistani peacekeepers and 18 from the United States were killed as the peacekeepers battled local militia.So far, the African Union has managed to raise only around half of the required 8 000 troops.Uganda has offered 1 500 troops, Burundi 1 700 and Nigeria 850, while Malawi and Ghana are also expected to contribute.The deployment comes amid an escalating violence in the capital since January when joint Somali-Ethiopian forces ousted a powerful Islamist movement from central and southern Somalia.This has sparked a string of guerrilla-style attacks that have killed dozens of people and forced thousands to flee.The interim government has blamed remnants of the Islamist movement for the attacks.Several insurgent groups have vowed to kill the peacekeepers who will bolster the weak government of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed in its attempts to tighten its tenuous grip across the shattered African nation.Late Monday unidentified gunmen killed seven people, including a police commander and a leading cleric, government officials and witnesses said.Nampa-AFPThe plane, carrying military hardware and several army officers, was received by Somali armed forces chief of staff general Abdullahi Omar Ali and military commanders from Ethiopia.There were white Armoured Personel Carriers (APC) marked AMISOM, for African Union Mission to Somalia.Bands belted out Somali and Uganda national anthems at the bullet-charred facility that has been the target of mortar and rocket shells in recent weeks.Last week, an advance team of about 30 Ugandan officers slipped into relatively peaceful Baidoa, the seat of government about 250 km northwest of Mogadishu.This was the first such venture since Operation Restore Hope, the ill-fated UN-backed, US-led peace mission launched in December 1992.During the first six months of that mission many civilians, 24 Pakistani peacekeepers and 18 from the United States were killed as the peacekeepers battled local militia.So far, the African Union has managed to raise only around half of the required 8 000 troops.Uganda has offered 1 500 troops, Burundi 1 700 and Nigeria 850, while Malawi and Ghana are also expected to contribute.The deployment comes amid an escalating violence in the capital since January when joint Somali-Ethiopian forces ousted a powerful Islamist movement from central and southern Somalia.This has sparked a string of guerrilla-style attacks that have killed dozens of people and forced thousands to flee.The interim government has blamed remnants of the Islamist movement for the attacks.Several insurgent groups have vowed to kill the peacekeepers who will bolster the weak government of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed in its attempts to tighten its tenuous grip across the shattered African nation.Late Monday unidentified gunmen killed seven people, including a police commander and a leading cleric, government officials and witnesses said.Nampa-AFP