Darfur peace accord gets a severe blow, rebels attack AU peacekeepers, 2 killed

350 Ugandan troops of the African Union peacekeeping force arrived in Mogadishu on Tuesday in order to replace Ethiopian troops which have been stationed in Somalia since January helping the government maintain law and order in the volatile country. In an insurgency attack however, these Ugandan troops were struck at their camp near the airport. Uganda, which has about 1,600 troops promised to Somalia, would now think twice before they could send in more troops. What does this entail for Somalia? The insurgency is seen to be on a rise. Insurgents also attacked a Somali government base on Tuesday, launching rocket-propelled grenades and firing machine guns for nearly an hour. The remnants of Islamic militias driven from Mogadishu by government forces and Ethiopian troops in December are probably the ones that are behind these multiple attacks. Although none of the troops were injured in the attacks, it reflects the nature of insurgency and anarchy prevalent in Somalia. Despite the efforts of present troops, the government has not been able to bring about much law and order. Even so, Uganda has committed 1,600 peacekeepers to help quell the daily violence in the volatile capital city of Mogadishu, as part of an intended 8,000 troop AU force. A span based timetable of the troops to arrive is not available as yet, but it is known that Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi and Burundi are all expected to send troops. However, only half of the needed AU forces for the mission have been committed. Other issues concern the shortage of money and equipment being faced by the African Union. This also brings the success and the effectiveness of the peace operations into serious consideration. So what does the future look like? The peacekeepers are the first in Mogadishu since an unsuccessful U.S. and U.N. operation ended in bloody battles and a withdrawal of troops in 1995. Also, although one cannot predict the effectiveness of this peacekeeping operation, it is nonetheless an optimistic start to what could be an African initiative to help bring peace in Somalia. Read UPDATE 1: Darfur gunmen kill 2 African Union peacekeepers and wound a third UPDATE 2: At Least 10 Somalis Killed After Ambush On African Union Troops