By IANS,
Nairobi : Kenya will deploy 4,660 soldiers in Somalia as part of the Africa Union peacekeeping force, a top official said Monday.
Chief of defence forces General Julius Karangi said a military council will be formed in Mogadishu that will have staff from Kenya and other African nations.
“Since we moved into Somalia last year, we have not seen incidents of sea piracy. I must say we have managed to create a fairly safe buffer in Somalia,” Karangi said.
“Our ability to deal with the enemy in Somalia is not diminished in any way. We will still pursue them on air, land and sea,” Xinhua quoted Karangi as saying.
The Kenyan soldiers battling Somali militants are due to formally join the 54-member African Union peacekeeping force (AMISOM) this week.