IGAD defense staff gather in Ethiopia on Somali issue

[Jacaylbaro]

APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Chief of defense staff and military experts from the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Monday begin a three day forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to discuss new troop contributions for Somalia.

 

The on-going closed session is being held in the presence of chiefs of defense staff and military experts from IGAD member states, namely, Ethiopia, Uganda, Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan and Somalia.

 

The forum is being held to assess the IGAD summit decision, which was held a week ago in Addis Ababa, where the leaders decided to deploy additional 2,000 peacekeeping forces to Somalia.

 

Accordingly, the experts and chiefs of defense staff are discussing who should contribute troops and how and when to deploy them to Somalia.

 

Uganda, which was recently attacked by AL Shabab,a militant group based in Somalia, has already decided to send additional 2,000 troops to Somalia.

 

If Uganda alone sends the 2,000 troops, the number of troops to be sent to Somalia will rise more than the initially decided 2,000 troops, which was decided by IGAD leaders a week ago in Addis Ababa.

 

Currently, around 5,500 Ugandan and Burundi troops are on the ground in Somalia, helping the weak Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia in stabilizing the country, which remains without a central government for the past 19 years.

 

Last week’s attack in Uganda by AL Shabab forced IGAD member states to seriously consult on how to fight against Al Shabab.

 

Next week’s African Union summit in Uganda is also expected to give ample time to discuss the issue of Somalia.