Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council Thursday adopted a recommendation by regional defence chiefs to increase the troop size of its mission in Somalia (AMISOM) by over 5,000. Defence chiefs from the East Africa grouping – Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) – and AMISOM troop contributing countries on Wednesday met in Addis Ababa and developed a new strategy for AMISOM, in the wake of an Ethiopian incursion into the stronghold of the Al-Shabab insurgents and a military operation by Kenyan army in Somalia.

Since August, forces of Somali’s weak government and AMISOM have strengthened control over the capital and other parts, as insurgents got weaker, squeezed by Kenyan incursion into strongholds in the south and advancing AMISOM in central Somalia.

After over a month of secretive operation, Ethiopian forces captured Beledeweyn, another Shabab stronghold, last Saturday, according to Ethiopian officials.

As Al Shabab fighters retreat, the defence chiefs developed a new strategy aimed at eliminating the insurgents - raising AMISOM’s capacity from the originally authorised 12, 000 to over 17,700, incorporating Kenya soldiers.

About 9,800 AMISOM soldiers from Uganda and Burundi are currently in Somalia.

A battalion of about 900 Djiboutian troops is expected in a week and, by March 2000, more troops from Burundi and Uganda will bring AMISOM to its 12,000 capacity.

“With the re-hating [incorporating] of Kenyan soldiers into AMISOM, we will reach over 17,000 soon,” Ramtane Lamamra, AU's PSC Commissioner, told journalists after Thursday's meeting.

AU will present the proposal to UN Security Council next week for a nod from the world body which finances the mission, in collaboration with the US and EU.       

Pana 06/01/2012