Castro Posted January 9, 2007 I guess one can't rely on those Africans, eh? ------------------------ UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Javier Solana, the European Union foreign policy chief, suggested on Monday that U.N. peacekeepers go into Somalia after the first batch of Africa Union troops is deployed. "The force for now is a Ugandan force," Solana told reporters after meeting U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "But it is likely that the United Nations will have to take some decisions on the follow-up." Solana said he did not think the African Union could handle another large operation in addition to its deployment of troops in Sudan's Darfur region. "I put that on the table," Solana said of his talks with Ban, adding he had not expected an immediate response and that peacekeeping officials had to analyze the situation in the northeast African country. "But this is something we have to think about," said Solana, a former secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The United Nations and the United States failed a decade ago to restore order in Somalia, which has been in chaos since warlords overthrew dictator Siad Barre in 1991 and then fought each other. Islamists ruled the capital, Mogadishu, for six months until they were ousted by Ethiopia before the new year. Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf entered the city on Monday for the first time since his election in 2004, protected by his soldiers and those from Ethiopia, whose leaders say they will withdraw as soon as possible. Still, a U.N. peacekeeping force may be difficult to muster as the world body is fielding close to 100,000 troops in 18 missions. Memories are also strong of the failed operation in Somalia from 1992 to 1995. "We face an unprecedented demand for peacekeeping as well as a range of growing demands for preventive diplomacy, good offices, peace-building and efforts in conflict management," Ban told the U.N. Security Council on Monday. Ethiopian troops are expected to pull out of Somalia in a matter of weeks, while an African peacekeeping force is cobbled together to fill the anticipated vacuum in security that the government admits it cannot handle on its own. Uganda has agreed to send troops, subject to approval by parliament, which is not due to be in session until the end of the month. Diplomats say South Africa and Nigeria have spoken of contributing troops but have not made any commitments. The United States has offered $14 million and the European Union $15 million to help with the deployment, Solana said. (Additional reporting by Guled Mohamed in Mogadishu) Reuters Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
