Som@li Posted April 5, 2007 By Jim Michaels, USA TODAY CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti — The United States is using surrogate nations and financial aid in an effort to prevent Somalia from slipping further into chaos as militias battle in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital. The United States has vowed to support an African Union peacekeeping force arriving in Somalia and has trained elements of the Ethiopian army, which toppled Somalia's anti-American Islamic government. About 1,300 African Union peacekeepers, mostly Ugandans, have had problems getting established, however. Two cargo planes supplying the peacekeepers crashed, possibly because of enemy fire, in recent weeks. "When you have two aircraft that get shot down that makes things tenuous," said U.S. Rear Adm. James Hart, commander of the Horn of Africa task force, which is based on a former French Foreign Legion base in this tiny country squeezed between Somalia and Ethiopia. Somalia will test America's softer approach in the Horn of Africa, where diplomats and military leaders are attempting to use reconstruction and aid projects to build ties and prevent the region becoming a terrorist safe haven. The United States is also training militaries in the region. Us tries new strategy with Somalia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
