20101009
Garowe Online

Deputy special representative of the chairman of the AU Commission for Somalia, Wafula Wamunyinyi says its peacekeeping troops are now in control of more than 45% of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, Radio Garowe reports.

Our troops now controls large part in Mogadishu, we will continue capturing more other bases. Our target is to seize 50% of Mogadishu until end of this month," Wamunyinyi told reporters in Nairobi, the capital of neighboring Kenya.

Uganda and Burundi are the only countries that have contributed troops to the African Union peacekeeping mission in war-torn Somalia, which seized many bases in week of clashes with the insurgents

Wafula Wamunyinyi said AU soldiers are approximately 7,200 troops who defeat insurgent groups, urged Somalia government forces to implement heavy attacks against the oppositions.

"Our troops-supporting TFG established 11 new bases in Somali, we are fulfilling our mission through defeating the hard-lines, rebels," said Wamunyinyi

The AU has appealed to the international community for more supports to increase the force to 20,000 and asked its members to consider sending troops to support the Ugandan and Burundian contingents.

According to Wamunyinyi, the African nations willing to increase assistance, Burundi is ready to send 1,000 soldiers, Guinea is likely to commit 2,000 troops and Malawi is considering its own contribution.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni promised to remove Al-Shabaab, saying the AU would send 20,000 troops to Somalia--up from the current force of 5,000--after the Kampala attacks.

Insurgents of the two main Islamic groups, al-Shabaab and Hisbul Islam, control most of southern and central parts of Somalia following a three-year battle to overthrow th