Somalia MPs back Mogadishu move

13/03/2007| IslamWeb

Somalia's parliament has voted unanimously for the cabinet to relocate to the capital, Mogadishu.

Some 170 MPs voted for the ministers to relocate starting next week, at a session in Baidoa, the government's temporary seat.

The approval comes after Ugandan troops took control of the airport in Mogadishu from Ethiopian forces.

The Ugandans are the first part of an 8,000-strong African Union force to provide security and train the army.

Disarmament move

Uganda forces spokesman Paddy Ankunda said the airport has been re-opened after it was closed on Friday when a plane carrying soldiers and military equipment caught fire. Investigations on the incident are underway.

An Islamist militant group, The Popular Resistant Movement in the Land of Two Migrations, claimed to have fired two rockets at the plane.

"We took over control of the airport from the Ethiopian forces. This means commercial and other flights can safely fly in and out," Captain Ankunda said.

Mogadishu airport has been under the control of Ethiopian forces who assisted the interim government oust the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) last year.

Uganda has so far deployed 1,200 soldiers for the AU mission in Somalia who are expected to begin patrols this week.

Meanwhile, the interim government has announced plans to forcefully disarm civilians at the capital.

Deputy Defense minister Salad Ali Jele said an advance team of newly trained security forces hopes to pacify the city within 30 days.

Dozens of people have been killed during insurgent attacks since the Islamists were ousted from Mogadishu.

Somalia has not had an effective government for 16 years and is awash with weapons.

The AU mission will however not be involved in the disarmament process.

Photo caption

African Union peacekeepers from Uganda