Uganda See Possibilities Somalia Whole Force

Uganda See Possibilities Somalia Whole Force

Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, has said his country can raise the entire 20,000 -troop force that the African Union says is needed to defeat Somalia's Islamist rebels and pacify the country.

President Museveni made the remark on Monday, to members of European Security Committee, a group of generals from European Union states.

Required troop

The AU and the seven-nation East African Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have said it could take about 20,000 troops to help quell the insurgents in Somalia, which has been without a stable central government for nearly 20 years.

Museveni said Uganda, can raise the required 20,000 alone, given logistics and equipment.

Uganda already has the largest contingent in the nearly 7,200 -strong AU-mandated AMISOM peacekeeping force propping up the besieged Somali administration, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Mogadishu.

Tackling problem on land

The President, speaking on activities of the insurgents said there was need to tackle the roots of the problem on land, where it originates, rather than controlling the ocean.

Museveni also asked the EU to deploy air power to control Somali airspace and curtail the flow of arms from al Qaeda and other foreign sponsors of rebels in Somalia.

EU generals are due to visit a training camp for Somali soldiers in southwest Uganda and hold discussions with Ugandan military officials.

REUTERS/Williams/Yinka