Non-Subscriber Extract
What now for Somalia?
- Article Tools
| 08 January 2007 |
By Helmoed-Roemer Heitman JDW Correspondent Cape Town
Ethiopian troops supporting Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) took the port town of Kismayo on 1 January after forces loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) pulled out and dispersed.
The Ethiopian offensive has been a clear and outstanding success and the TFG seems to be moving quickly to establish itself. However, the TFG lacks the military strength to hold onto its gains unaided.
Quick action is needed to prevent the UIC from regrouping and launching any major insurgency and to prevent the various warlords from attempting to re-establish their fiefdoms. Failure to move quickly will risk Somalia again lapsing into a failed state, divided among contesting warlords. Given that the TFG has only token forces and that the Ethiopians cannot remain for too long, there is a clear need for an urgent deployment of a peacekeeping force.
Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi has already asked for peacekeepers to help stabilise the country; the deployment of a peacekeeping force has already been authorised by the UN Security Council; and the Intergovernmental Agency for Development (IGAD) has undertaken to deploy an eight-battalion force. The challenge is to find troops and the funds and to make that deployment happen within weeks rather than months.
204 of 943 words
© 2006 Jane's Information Group
[End of non-subscriber extract]
Customers with a paid subscription to Jane’s Defence Weekly can access the full article here
If you would like to subscribe, please see our products section for more information and pricing on Defence Weekly