I believe Ambassador Augusto, the chair of African Union peace and Security Council, in fact addressed the burning question in relation to AMISOM troops in Mogadishu in a rational way free from the rhetoric culture of the international civil servants of the AU. His recommendation for the AU to re-evaluate AMISOM project in general and its mandate in particular strikes the right key towards untangling the mission caught in the killer net.

My heart goes with the families and friends on both sides to this conflict that lost their love ones in this war between the Somali Nationalists and the remnants of the forces which are perceived as invaders. The blame should be directed where it truly belongs and I have no doubt it is no one else other then the AU who sent the AMISON troops without a clear and definite mandate. The resulting sad lost of life can be pointedly credited squarely to the incompetence of the AU. The AU must be held responsible for what have happened and what will ensue in Mogadishu and its surroundings as this is the consequence of a poorly conceived and blindly implemented policy from the side of the institution which stands as the authority of African affairs.

To be eligible to be seen as peace keeper you must obtain duly signed document, to that effect, by the belligerent parties which the AU calculatingly ignored to appease the demand of the American Government. AMISON as we are aware has been a force assembled and tasked to prop up and install in Somalia a foreign entity manufactured in Kenya and later in Djibouti by foreign nations marketed under the brand name of TFG. AMISOM by design is not an impartial force but the military arm of the imported TFG which makes it a legitimate target for the national resistance forces.

The Ambassador’s call for the reassessment of AMISON project, although very late, is the first step in the right direction. To entertain the thought of AMISOM contingent being able to withstand the attacks from the forces that chased away the powerful invading force from Ethiopia is just incomprehensible and is as laughable as the statement of the AMISON commander, Gen. Okelo “the situation on the ground is under control, despite the incident”. At the time of this writing half of Mogadishu is on fire and the death toll among the civilians is mounting by the hour and yet the General in charge of the operations is barefacedly spreading disinformation in the comfort of his beautiful office in Addis Ababa instead of pulling out his troops while the opportunity is there.

The recent casualties on AMISOM troops is a prelude for countless body bags and live hostages to come in the very near future because the contingent is no longer working in the safety of the buffer zone created by the Ethiopian army. The TFG troops are fighting along side them as they used when the Ethiopian army was in the firing line and of course they should expect to meet the same or most probably even far worse then the fate of the Ethiopian army. Unlike the AMISOM contingent the Ethiopians has the strength to withdraw to their borders in the time of their choosing in an organised way with out a call for international rescue and assistance.

In conclusion I would like to remind my readers that the current Ugandan and Burundian contingent who were tasked mainly to guard government facilities in the safety of the buffer zone created by the now defunct mighty Ethiopian force have neither the strength nor the experience to show their faces in the firing line. I believe the AU must understand that it has legal and moral obligation to look after the safety and security of these soldiers. Soliciting American logistics to evacuate them with in a weak or so is the only venue open for AU officials as the cost of overstaying in Somalia is becoming exceedingly expensive by the hour.

peace comes withen oneself, i am sure african leaders and lover of peace from all over the globe have tryed . it may seem it is not enough,but nothing seems to work because as the bibil say "our peace is on JUSES!I HAVE COMED TO BELIVE THIS MIGHT NOT END INFACT THE END OF THE WORLD IS COMING......

Sad day for Pan Africanism. May the souls of the 11 Burundian soldiers rest in peace; and they will be immortalized in the hearts of all Africans who desire peace for their beautiful continent.

for sure this is a tragedy for Burundians and for all of us. However, the one thing that African Governments sending troops to Somalia has to understand is that is a very precarious and protracted conflict. While I applaud their efforts to help Somalia, they need to get a sense of what is that work and don't in Somalia. Everyone recalls the strong Ethiopians left Mogadishu at gun point, and did not want to stay any more. That signalled a new for a new direction and the same old thing. The reality is that not only Somalia was neglected for the better part of 18 years of conflict, It was exasperated and even exploited by all...that is the names like, the US, UN, UK, AU, EU, ARAB LEAGE, THE NEIGHBOURS.....and so. For the first time, Somalia got a force of young men and women determined to own the fate of their country. These men, albeit young and inexperieced, made the above mentioned names to pay more price for the humilation of people in dire need. Their motto is; DEATH ONLY SADDENS THE AGGRESORS.

AHMED FARAH

The US State Department sent military trainers to Buja to train those troops just after a large aid package was announced. America is behind the AU mission as it wants to undermine the UN in Somalia and achieve certain other goals to do with their war on terrorism. There is much more to say on this issue, the people involved and what happens to officials that point out the stupidity of what America is trying to achieve in the Horn, but I have to go to work. In short this has nothing to do with panafricanism.