From rxpgnews.com
UN plans mission to study Somalia's needs
By DPA,
Feb 3, 2007 - 9:49:21 AM
New York, Feb 3 - The UN Security Council plans to send a technical mission to study Somalia's future security needs as the country struggles to regain normalcy following years of warfare.
The 15-nation council said the mission would be sent rapidly and urged the African Union - to deploy its own peacekeeping force of possibly 8,000 troops to Somalia for a limited time until a UN force could take over.
Uganda has agreed to contribute two battalions of 1,500 troops as part of an AU force. The AU, now under the chairmanship of Ghana, has asked Malawi, Burundi, Ghana and Niggeria to take on operations to pacify Somalia.
The council said it had received a letter from AU chairman, President John Kufuor of Ghana, conveying his intention to deploy the AU peacekeeping force.
UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari told the council that it should work out measures to prevent the return of warlords and a power vacuum in Somalia as the transitional government struggles to restore order and security.
Gambari told the council that instability is affecting efforts to meet the humanitarian needs of the Somali people, many of whom have been displaced by years of fighting.
'From the humanitarian perspective, a potential power vacuum and return to warlordism constitute security threats to the population and to the implementation of humanitarian activities,' said Gambari.
'We need quick, effective humanitarian action based on humanitarian principles. Relief groups should be able to work independently and in an impartial manner,' he added.
Fighting has continued between unidentified militia forces and Ethiopian troops backing the transitional government since it ousted the Union of Islamic Courts from Mogadishu earlier this month.
The UN said rampant insecurity has made relief work more daunting in south and central Somalia. As an example it cited World Health Organisation workers in Kismayo, where an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever was feared, who were cut off from all UN flights.
The UN said at least 1.1 million Somalis need humanitarian assistance because of high rates of malnutrition.
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