“The government is obliged to do what the Somali people want and fulfill it” said Omaar.
The minister said the African Union troops will leave when the Somali government gets its forces trained and equipped.
A recent call by Somali Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdulahi Omaar from the UN Security Council for more peacekeepers to Somalia drew an uproar from the pro-government clerics and civil society groups, which forced government officials to distance themselves from the minister's statement, saying the government only wanted to request" military aid and not for more peacekeepers".
Asked about his request he replied that the troops he demanded from Uganda and Burundi were peacekeepers that would replace those already in the country.
“The troops from Uganda and Burundi are changed every three or four months so what we are talking about is not new troops, they are the troops that have the mandate from the UN” Mohamed Abdulahi Omaar said.
Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmake made an apology a bout the demand by the foreign minister for further troops from African Union.
amsomalia@mareeg.com
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