The United Nations Security Council has urged the African Union to increase the number of peacekeepers in Somalia, to reach its mandated strength of 12,000.
There are currently just over 9,000 peacekeepers in Somalia, far way below the mandated figure.
The African peacekeepers from Burundi and Uganda are helping the Somali government to fight the Al-Shabaab insurgents and to provide security for humanitarian operations in the conflict-affected country.
Somalia’s Ambassador to the United Nations Elmi Ahmed Duale told the Security Council thatthe Somali security forces are overstretched and they are contained only in Mogadishu.
Duale said it is of utmost urgency to enlarge and improve the capabilities of the Somali armed forces and police, in order to consolidate and build on the recent security gains.
The Security Council said on Friday that it has authorized the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to continue until the end of October 2012.
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