Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)
9 October 2008
Mogadishu — Kenya is set to begin training up to 10,000 Somali troops. Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula told African ambassadors meeting at the Serena Hotel that the training of the military, paramilitary and police officers will be carried out according to local training programmes. The government is keen to see the Somali government stand on its two feet, but insists that the recruitment of the trainees will have to be done fairly across Somalia.
Somalia is going through trying times. Fighting between insurgents and Somali government troops backed by Ethiopian forces has seen thousands killed and tens of thousands displaced. The administration of President Abdullahi Yusuf is still trying to impose its authority in the war-ton nation. The AU has not succeeded in getting more countries to commit troops to its peacekeeping mission.
Currently, only Uganda and Burundi have contributed troops to AMISOM [African Union Mission in Somalia]. Now, Kenya is backing an international initiative to strengthen the Somali government. It will train thousands of mainly combatant paramilitary troops at facilities like this one where armed officer cadets were commissioned as officers in the presence of President Mwai Kibaki today. The president praised the discipline and reputation established by Kenyan armed forces.
Foreign Affairs Wetangula says Kenya will now extend military and police training to the Somalis.
[Wetangula] We have offered that we will train six to 10,000. We have talked to our friends so that it is team spirit in terms of support for funding. We will as a government offer one of our training institutions where we will train them.
Kenyan soldiers training Somali troops would have been unthinkable just a few years back. The two countries had treated each other with mistrust and suspicion as military tensions between them threatened to spill over in the 70s and 80s. The minister did not give any further details on the matter, including just who will fund the training bill.
Wetangula disputed reports that there are Kenyans still being held in Ethiopia as terror suspects.
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