Somali war on terror in disarray as AU boosts troops

African leaders are pledging new troops for Somalia to fight al-Qaeda-linked militants responsible for two bombings that killed 76 people.

But internal documents show African Union forces and Somali troops do not trust one another and that Somalia's government "lacks consistency, coherence and co-ordination", raising questions about whether more AU troops can solve the Somali impasse.

African leaders and US officials called for stepped-up efforts in Somalia as an AU summit in Uganda ended yesterday. It opened only days after the July 11 bombings in Kampala, an attack that prompted Uganda's president to call for Africa to band together against Somalia's militants.

Al-Shabaab, Somalia's most-feared militant group, claimed responsibility for bombing two sites where people were watching the World Cup final and said the blasts were in retaliation for civilian deaths caused by AU troops in Mogadishu.

At the summit, Africa's leaders voted to send 2 000 more Ugandan and Burundian troops to the AU mission in Somalia (Amisom).

But an internal report last month by military experts from Igad (Intergovernmental Authority on Development), the bloc of East African nations, cast doubt on the efforts being made by Amisom troops.

The report said there was a lack of trust between AU and Somali forces, and that the effectiveness of Amisom troops was being hindered by the Somali government's many weaknesses.

Source: Sapa-AP