Row over Africa peacekeeper money

So far only Ugandan AU troops have deployed to Mogadishu

The African Union (AU) has defended its method of funding peacekeeping forces following complaints from the Ugandan peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

The Ugandan army, which arrived in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in March, says it has not received money promised to it by the AU since its deployment.

An AU spokesman told the BBC that states financed the deployment of their troops, before the AU reimbursed them.

Assane Ba said the AU so far had pledges of $35m to fund the mission.

But some $200m was needed to fund a six month deployment of 8,000 troops to Somalia.

So far however, only some 1,700 Ugandan troops are in Mogadishu as the advance party.

AU FORCE IN SOMALIA Uganda: 1,700 Nigeria: 850 Burundi: 1,700 Ghana: unconfirmed Q&A: Somali conflict

Responding to the Ugandan complaints, Mr Ba said:

"Of course there are some delays in the sense that we just signed an agreement with the European Union which have pledged 15m euros (about $20m) around 10 days ago," Mr Ba, spokesperson for the AU's department for peace and security, told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

"We don't have all the troops on the ground so we can't talk of a shortfall," he said.

He said Italy had pledged a further 10m euros ($13.5m), but he hoped for more money.

The African peacekeepers are intended to replace Ethiopian troops which helped the interim government oust Islamists in December.

Burundi, which is expected to provide 1,700 troops, says they are ready to leave, but there is no money to send them.

The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) ruled much of southern Somalia for six months last year.