Nairobi, Kenya — African military experts Thursday were devising a plan for sending a peacekeeping force to Somalia, where fundamentalist Islamists appear to be taking more control of the country from the weakened government, officials said.
The plan - which calls for as many as 3,500 peacekeepers by October - hinges on whether the internationally recognized transitional government and the Islamic courts group that controls the country's south can ease political tensions, officials said.
Military officials are meeting under the auspices of the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development, which mediated peace talks that led to the formation of the transitional government two years ago.
Somalia has not had a national army or police since warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 and then turned on each other, pulling the country into anarchy.
In June, Islamic militiamen took over the capital of Mogadishu and then seized control of much of southern Somalia.
Comments
BOE 7 years, 8 months ago
RoE's for being "showered with flowers and sweets"?
Watchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?
lol
billyflay 7 years, 8 months ago
talk about a waste of time, like iraq, these people are incapable of taking care of themselves, this is just the way they live their lives,
hell, we have pissed away billions of dollars on african on countries like this and they still can't take care of themselvs,
if, like the liberals say, that the people of iraq do not have the ability to govern themselves then the same should hold true for the inhabitants of somalia,
Respectfully,
screw em
conservativeman 7 years, 8 months ago
Don't send US soldiers this time! Not unless the rule of engagement are very, very robust.
LJW Bring back RT and BS!
Respectfully, Conservativeman
Christine Pennewell Davis 7 years, 8 months ago
So they are going to try again?? Is the US going to get involved in this again?
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