Rwanda Requested to Deploy in Somalia

By Eleneus Akanga

Rwanda, Kigali. January 13, 2007 - The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has appealed to Rwanda to send troops to the war-ravaged Somalia to help pacify the Horn of Africa nation.

The request was contained in a message to President Paul Kagame from Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki which was delivered by Special Envoy Musikari Kombo, on Thursday.

Kibaki is the current chairperson of the organisation which comprises of seven nations namely: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.

"My visit here is part of IGAD's search for a comprehensive African solution to Somalia problem," Kombo, who is also Kenya's Local Government Minister, told The New Times shortly after meeting the President at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Kimihurura, Kigali.

He added: "Basically, our appeal is for African countries to see how they can work together to remove the current vacuum that is in Somalia."

Kombo said that his meeting with the President was fruitful. "It's been over all a wonderful meeting" he said.

Rwanda's Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Charles Murigande confirmed that Kibaki had requested Rwanda to contribute troops to help end the longstanding crisis.

"He presented the request but the President (Kagame) told him that Rwanda already has soldiers in Darfur and Khartoum (in Sudan) and police in Liberia, but IGAD's request would also be discussed," Murigande said yesterday.

Overall, about 2000 Rwandan soldiers are on foreign peacekeeping missions serving under either the African Union or the UN.

Murigande said the move was in line with the African Union and IGAD's plan to have an African peacekeeping force in Somalia. "We will discuss what we can contribute to stabilise the situation in Somalia."

A military source said the government would consider such issues as financial and logistical resources before taking any decision. "They will have to see whether other engagements would not overstretch the nation."

Ethiopian and Somali government troops recently captured most of the areas formerly controlled by troops loyal to the Supreme Council of the Islamic Courts Union, but there are fears that an insurgency could ensue.

Since the overthrow of the General Mohammed Siad Barre regime in 1991, the country has been in a state of near-anarchy, without any formal government structures and numerous factions disputing control. And now it is also feared that the conflict could spill over to the entire region.

Uganda promised to provide 1,500 of the needed 8,000 troops to keep peace in the war-ravaged nation. Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, Benin and Ghana were also expected to make similar pledges.

Source: The New Times ( Kigali)

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