Ugandan parliament OKs peacekeepers for Somalia

Feb 13, 2007 (KAMPALA) — Uganda’s parliament voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the deployment of Ugandan troops to Somalia to join an African Union peacekeeping mission designed to protect that country’s weak government and train a new army.

The vote was widely expected to pass after President Yoweri Museveni promised earlier this year to send two battalions, totaling 1,500 troops, to Somalia. The A.U. hopes to raise 8,000 peacekeepers to help Somalia’s government establish itself.

“We should not forget how Tanzania played a big role in liberating our country from the dictatorship of Idi Amin, we should also help our brothers and sisters in Somalia to attain peace,” said First Lady Janet Museveni, a member of parliament.

Defense Minister Crispus Kiyonga said the troops would be sent to the Somali capital, Mogadishu, within two weeks. Parliament approved a six-month initial deployment.

The approval came amid daily violence in Mogadishu, where Islamic extremists opposed to the government have attacked official buildings and Ethiopian troops currently in the country. In December, Ethiopia sent thousands of soldiers into Somalia to help the U.N.-recognized government defeat an Islamic movement trying to take over the country.

The A.U. peacekeeping force would replace the Ethiopian soldiers, who are widely despised by Mogadishu residents. However, it is not clear the peacekeepers would be any more welcome after demonstrations against their deployment over the weekend.

(AP)