ADDIS ABABA , December 27, 2007 - Ethiopia on Thursday welcomed the recent deployment of Burundian peacekeepers to Somalia and asked for more help from the African Union in its struggle with Islamist insurgents there.

"The ministry of information commended Burundi's recent efforts in deploying 192 soldiers to join the AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia," said a government statement.

" Ethiopia called on African countries that made pledges to contribute troops for the proposed African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in Somalia to meet their promises."

Over the past week, the small central African nation of Burundi dispatched close to 200 peacekeepers to the Somali capital Mogadishu and is expected to have an 800-strong battalion there in January.

Burundi eventually plans on sending 1,700 troops to the war-torn Horn of Africa nation, to reinforce the 1,600-strong contingent from Uganda, the first African country to contribute troops to the AU peacekeeping mission.

"The failure to fully materialize the agreement signed to deploy a strong peacekeeping mission in Somalia has put negative impact on the ongoing efforts of bringing about lasting peace to Somalia," the statement added.

Ethiopia unilaterally sent troops to Somalia a year ago to help the government in its struggle against an Islamist militia that briefly controlled large parts of the country.

Islamist rule was swiftly ended but the militia's remnants are now waging a deadly guerrilla war, mainly in Mogadishu, which has left hundreds of civilians dead and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Somalia's Islamist-led opposition says it will not negotiate until Ethiopian troops leave, accusing Addis Ababa of embarking on a Christian crusade to colonize Muslim Somalia.

Ethiopia, backed by the United States, argues that Somalia would sink deeper into chaos if it withdrew before the full deployment of the planned 8,000-strong AU peacekeeping force.

Source: AFP

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