AU reaffirms support to Somalia's transitional government

[General Duke]

AU reaffirms support to Somalia's transitional government

 

 

 

The African Union (AU) on Tuesday reaffirmed its full support to Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which is currently based in Baidoa, 240 km from the Somali capital Mogadishu.

 

In a press statement issued after a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council, the pan-African body once again called on all concerned Somali parties "to seek the path of dialogue and to extend the necessary cooperation to the TFG in order to achieve lasting peace and reconciliation in Somalia, building on the dialogue facilitated by the Arab League."

 

It urged the United Nations Security Council "to expedite action on AU request for granting an exemption to the arms embargo "in order to facilitate the early deployment of peacekeepers.

 

The UN imposed an arms embargo on Somalia in 1992 in a bid to stem the bloodshedding that erupted in the country as leaders of the rebel movement that overthrew Muhammad Siyad Barre turned against each other in a power struggle.

 

In Somalia, the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) took control of Mogadishu early last month after routing an alliance of warlords whose militias have held sway in the city since the early 1990s.

 

Somalia is currently without a functioning national administration and has been wracked by civil strife since 1991 when the regime led by Siyad was toppled.

 

At present, there are reports that Ethiopian troops over the weekend moved into the Somali town of Wajid. Earlier, some reports said Ethiopian troops crossed the border and entered Baidoa, the current base of the TFG.

 

However, Ethiopia denied incursions into Somalia, saying that its forces only massed near the border to monitor the situation.

 

Source: Xinhua

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

To left the embargo, the un is only asking for a detailed. Instead of repeating their support, they should submit such a plan.