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africanews

Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni was on a brief visit to Somalia on Sunday where thousands of his forces are participating in African Union peacekeeping mission in the capital Mogadishu.

Museveni met his counterpart Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, prime minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed with his cabinet and parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden at the Mogadishu international airport.

He later toured camps of Amisom soldiers and held discussion with mission commanders in Halane, Amisom’s largest base in Mogadishu near the airport.

"I came to check on our troops and also to consult his Excellency President Ahmed. I am very pleased they formed a new government, have a new Prime Minister and are united. Our troops' morale is very high," said the president accompanied by his wife Janet Museveni.

He accused the international community for not taking Somali problem seriously and not providing enough support.

"We want more troops, from Uganda or from anywhere in Africa. Uganda is a country of 33 million people so we could mobilize three million people. But who will pay for it?" the president queried.

His visit was unannounced although the surroundings of the airport - where Al-Shabaab bombers had previously hit a number of times – were under tight security.

It was his first visit to Somalia where six AU peacekeepers were arrested last week for allegedly shooting civilians in Mogadishu.

Uganda and Burundi provide all the 7,200 African Union soldiers in Mogadishu helping a Western-backed government that has failed to expand its authority in the capital.

The two Islamist insurgent groups are controlling most of southern Somalia and much of the capital. The African Union troops are defending only key sites in Mogadishu including the presidency and the airport.