African Union peacekeepers open 9 more bases in war-ravaged Somali capital
By APFriday, September 3, 2010
African peacekeepers open 9 more bases in Somalia
NAIROBI, Kenya — African Union peacekeepers say they have established nine new bases in Somalia’s capital over the last several months.
The announcement Friday follows days of bloody clashes in Mogadishu that have claimed dozens of lives.
The deputy head of the AU commission on Somalia says the peacekeepers have established nine new bases over the past five months.
Wafula Wamunyinyi says the bases have helped secure a key road linking government buildings with Mogadishu’s port and airport.
The area has been the scene of fierce fighting in recent days and Wamunyinyi estimated around 300 insurgents have been killed.
Fighters with al-Shabab, a militia that has links with al-Qaida, are trying to overthrow the weak Somali government.
