Wetangula appeals for more military aid in Somalia

African states have been urged to deploy more soldiers to war-torn Somalia in order to restore peace.

Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula said although some states pledged to send peace keeping forces to the Horn of Africa country only Uganda and Burundi had done so.

Mr Wetangula said the Africa Union (AU) had recommended that 8,000 soldiers be deployed to Somalia to assist in taming the raging war but currently only 3,500 are on the ground.

He noted that the civil war in Somalia has triggered insecurity in Kenya and other neighbouring states owing to proliferation of small arms.

The minister said lack of rule of law in the neighbouring country has fuelled an upsurge in piracy which has crippled sea transport in the continent.

"The AU must be bold enough by prevailing upon states which pledged to deploy peace keeping forces to Somalia to urgently do so in efforts to restore peace," Mr Wetangula said.

He added: "Since the AU made the recommendation only Uganda and Burundi have deployed 3,500 soldiers. More peace keeping forces are needed to bring order in the battered country."

Mr Wetangula proposed that the AU peace keeping forces currently in Somalia be given the mandate to enforce security so as to root out threats from warlords.

"Time has come for the peace keeping forces in Somalia to be given the authority to stamp out insecurity in the country. There is no way the soldiers can maintain peace when fighting, and killings, continue unabated," he said.

He called the African states to join forces in combating piracy in Somali waters to prevent frequent hijackings of ships which ferry cargo to neighbouring countries.

Mr Wetangula made the remarks at Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort in Mombasa when he officially opened the AU permanent representatives committee and department of political affairs retreat.

At the same time, Mr Wetangula called on AU to stop the West from using the continent as an experimental zone.

He argued that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have the tendency of imposing policies which do not favour African countries.

"IMF and World Bank at one time imposed the structural adjustment programmes on African states and in the end the projects failed.

"They have now come up with issues of strategic plans which make the implementation of development projects drag for long whereas they can be completed within a short time," he said.

On electoral processes, the minister called on AU to ensure that general elections held in member states are conducted in a free and fair manner.

He said leaders who acquire power through dubious means should not be given the chance to rule to avert issues of poor governance and impunity.

African Union commissioner for political affairs Mrs Julia Dolly Joiner decried the emergence of violent elections and the return of military power in some African states.

Mrs Joiner called member states to adhere to the provisions of African charter by upholding democracy, elections and governance.

"The main challenge we face is that member states are not ratifying the charter. Although 29 states have signed the charter only two have ratified it. The charter must be enforced," she said.

On the war on graft, Mrs Joiner called on the AU advisory board to change the war focus from recipients of corrupt practices to those who perpetrate the vice.

She added that efforts must be made to expose unethical practices that are perpetrated by multi-nationals from the developed world.

Mrs Joiner said AU should find means of addressing the plight of refugees and internally displaced persons in the affected states.