EU troops to train Somali soldiers


  1. Muhyadin Ahmed Roble, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
    The European Union has agreed on Monday to send troops to train up to 2,000 Soldiers from the Somali government battling with Islamist insurgents. The Mission led by Spain will involve about 200 European Union forces and begin in spring of this year in Uganda, according to EU foreign ministers.
    soldiers
    The Mission comes as Somali government led by moderate president Sharif Sh. Ahmed which controls a few areas in the capital requested to train 6,000 strong police forces.

    Al-Qaeda inspired Al-shabaab group which is trying to toppling internationally-backed President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed runs most of southern Somalia and parts of Mogadishu.

    EU foreign ministers said in a joint statement after meeting in Brussels that they should continue to help stabilise Somalia by supporting the security sector and development. "Also assistance to the population and capacity-building support", the statement said.

    "In this context, the EU council agreed to set up a military mission to contribute to training of Somali security forces," BBC stated.

    France had begun training about 500 Somali troops at its military base in Djibouti last year.

    4,500 Ugandan and Burundian troops are deployed in Somalia for backing the Somali government.

    Uganda was ready to deploy over 8,000 troops to the AMISOM mission in Somalia.

    Somalia has not had an effective government since warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.



Latest News

  1. Kenya launches universal HPV vaccine access t…17/05As the world celebrates the Cervical Cancer Week, Kenya has taken a leap …
  2. Malawi Electoral body appeals for ethical…17/05The Malawi Electoral Commission has challenged the media to follow ethica…
  3. Amplats to cut 6,000 jobs in South Africa10/05Top global platinum producer Anglo American Platinum announced on Friday …
  4. Kofi Annan: Africa plundered by secret mining…10/05Tax avoidance, secret mining deals and financial transfers are depriving …
  5. Bomb blasts rock Libyan city of Benghazi10/05A bomb has exploded outside the a police station in the Libya's east…
  6. Kenya calls on UN to drop Kenyatta trials10/05Kenya has written to the UN Security Council seeking to scrap the interna…
  7. Zanu PF Spruces up Voter Victimization…02/05Zanu PF has perfected its intimidation and coercive electoral machinery a…
  8. Africa Oil & Gas, Finance & Investment…02/05AME Trade Ltd are happy to announce the launch of the Africa Oil & Ga…
News archive