Developing Story: U.S to push for United Nations peacekeeping force for Somalia.

[Gabbal]

It seems the Ethiopian threat of withdrawal without preconditions, the first time since the invasion, actually worked.

 

The U.S stopped publicly ignoring the situation and today announced it is preparing a U.N Security Council resolution to send U.N peacekeepers to Somalia.

 

US push for peacekeepers in Somalia

 

2 hours ago

 

The US has said it will push for a United Nations peacekeeping force in Somalia after Ethiopia announced it would pull its forces out of the conflict-wracked nation by the end of the year.

 

Ethiopia sent thousands of troops to Somalia in early 2007 and helped drive Islamists from the capital Mogadishu after six months in power.

 

But since then, the Islamists have waged a ferocious uprising against US-backed Somali government troops and their Ethiopian allies and they are now in near-total control of the failed state.

 

The Ethiopian withdrawal would leave the entire country ripe for an Islamist takeover.

 

In response to Ethiopia's announcement, Gordon Duguid, a US State Department spokesman, said: "We are working with the government of Ethiopia and others in the region to ensure stability in Somalia."

 

Ethiopia and Somalia have called repeatedly for a UN peacekeeping force to help pacify the country and boost the country's weak government -- but the UN Security Council has said it first wants a ceasefire and improved security to ensure that there is a peace to keep.

 

But the US said that it would press for a UN force. It gave no timeline.

 

"The US regards deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation as essential for stability in Somalia, and we are working with our security council and other partners to prepare a UN Security Council resolution on this matter," said Patrick Ventrell, a spokesman for the US Mission to the United Nations.

 

Last week, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon urged all groups to back an October 26 ceasefire between the government and some Somali opposition parties and he welcomed Ethiopia's readiness to withdraw its troops to support the ceasefire.

 

But the agreement did not include any of the hardline opponents who have denounced talks with the government and who are behind much of the bloodshed in Mogadishu.

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