Uganda Allocated Close to Half of AUSSOM Troops Quota

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Uganda will contribute close to half of the troops to the new African Union force in Somalia as negotiations over the number of troops for the new outfit are completed.

National Security Advisor Hussein Sheikh Ali said the government had concluded negotiations with the African Union on the number of troops for the AU Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

“Today, the remaining negotiations have been completed; 5 countries are leading the 5 sectors, namely Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Egypt, and the numbers and locations of these five countries have been finalized,” Sheikh Ali said.

The Security Advisor did not disclose the numbers allocated to each country but Goobjoog News has learn that out of the 11,195 slots, Uganda will contribute 4,500 while Ethiopia has been allocated 2,500 slots.

Djibouti will contribute 1,520 troops followed by Kenya with 1,410 while the new entrant, Egypt has been allocate d1,091.

The AUSSOM will also comprise police officers from Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Egypt to be based in the cpaital Mogadishu, Jowhar in HirShabelle state and Baidoa, the capital of South West state.

Sources have also indicated Burundi will be withdrawing its soldiers from Somalia after failed negotiations with the Federal Government on the number of troops allocations.

Uganda was the first country to send troops to Somalia in 2007 following the emergence of Al-Shabaab. Burundi followed cue deploying up to 1,700 troops by the end of 2008.