Kampala: Uganda said today it can provide up to 10,000 troops for deployment to Somalia where it already has soldiers in the African Union mission protecting the country’s embattled government.
“We have the capacity, as the army leadership has indicated, to raise up to 10,000 soldiers to fill up the gap,” army spokesman Felix Kulayigye told AFP.

The African Union pledged to boost its forces in the Horn of Africa country in the wake of the July 11 deadly suicide bombings in the Ugandan capital which left 76 people dead and were claimed by Somalia’s al-Shabaab rebels.

The AU Mission in Somalia (Amisom) currently numbers around 6,000 Ugandan and Burundian soldiers, some 2,000 troops short of its intended full strength.

The only hurdle

The forces are the only hurdle between the Al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab and their total takeover of Mogadishu, where they have waged relentless battles with the AU troops to oust the transitional government.

“All those that have pledged assistance to Amisom, including America, should deliver as soon as possible so that we are able to carry out our mandate,” Kulayigye said.

But the he did not say the size of force the United States is ready to support for deployment.

“We have the capacity to raise a big force including calling up the reservists but the challenge is logistics which we hope America will look into. “Should the assistance come in time, I can assure the world we can raise 10,000 soldiers for deployment in Somalia in a short time,” said Kulayigye. (AFP)

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