AU troops to Somalia 'in weeks'

African Union forces have not found it easy in Darfur

The African Union could have troops in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, within a few weeks to allow the newly elected Somali government to establish itself.

An AU official told the BBC that any force would be deployed as early as possible to protect the new government.

At present the Somali president and parliament are working out of Kenya, because of fears for their security.

Somalia has been without an effective government since the overthrow of President Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

During the past 13 years, rival warlords have battled for control of the country and Somalia has been divided into a patchwork of fiefdoms.

AU Peace and Security Commissioner Said Djinnit says troops could go to Somalia in the next few weeks, but the size and terms of their mandate were still to be decided.

"Time is of the essence," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

"If the Somalis are seen to work together and be serious about peace then the region and the African Union will be supporting them."

New Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf has asked the AU to provide between 15,000 and 20,000 troops.

Uganda is reported to have offered 2,000 soldiers for the new force.

Safety

In Sudan's Darfur region, the first major deployment of AU troops has been criticised for failing to end the violence there.

Facts and figures about life in Somalia

At-a-glance

Troop delays and a limited mandate have combined to restrict their effectiveness.

Kenya is urging the Somali government to return home, but Somali officials say that it is not yet safe enough to end their exile.

Kenya has hosted a two-year peace process that led to the forming of a Somali cabinet last year.

Somali MPs in Nairobi have still to approve a new cabinet, after rejecting a previously appointed government.

All the major warlords are involved in the two-year peace process in neighbouring Kenya that led to President Abdullahi's election, raising hopes that Somalia could soon return to normal.