By Mohamed Dubo Mohamed
Nairobi, Kenya (HOL)-The first patch of African Union troops has arrived in Somalia on Thursday at a moment that neighboring countries, the United Nations, and US say it could be crucial for the future of the war-ravaged country. The U.N. Security Council backed the peacekeepers in Somalia who will eventually replace the Ethiopian troops who defeated the ICU fighters in December last year.
According to a U.N. official, the 35 soldiers landed at Baidoa are an advance team of a force that is expected to grow to 8,000 A.U. troops.
Uganda President Museveni, whose troops are expected to lead the A.U. force in Somalia, on the other hand told the troops yesterday in farewell ceremony that they will not be asked to disarm the local militias.
"Once we empower the Somalis, if they think that the guns should be removed from the population, they will be the ones to do it," he said.
At the same time the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, Eric Laroche, told reporters at the United Nations yesterday that the ICU fighters had only retreated after their defeat by the Ethiopian army in December.
Meanwhile, somali president Abdulahi Yusuf has also formally announced on Thursday that the Somali national reconciliation conference would be held on April 16. It’s the first time he gave such definitive time for the reconciliation process.