By Prensa Latina
Kampala : Burundi sent a second military contingent to Somalia, who will join 1,600 Ugandan troops deployed in the neighboring country, as part of a peace force from the African Union (AU).
The Burundian government said that it is willing to send two battalions of 850 soldiers each to contribute to an end of hostilities in that country of the so-called African Horn.
The soldiers traveled on a Ugandan cargo boat bound for a UA base near Mogadishu’s airport.
Hours before, the Burundian government had sent a first detachment, assuring that the number of troops will total 1,600 over the next two weeks.
So far, the Ugandan forces have guarded the maritime ports and airports in Somalia, and the Presidential Palace, and have provided protection to the main officials of the transition government.
In a lightning offensive early this year, in which Ethiopian forces were also involved, Somalian troops overthrew the representatives of the Union of Islamic Courts, who have maintained a belligerent attitude using irregular methods.