An African Union official said Monday that hundreds of additional troops have arrived in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, to bolster the AU force that supports the Somali government.
The AU deputy special representative for Somalia, Wafula Wamunyinyi, said the troops began arriving on Friday and have already been deployed to different areas.
He told reporters that more troops will be coming but refused to give further details.
Ugandan troops make up the bulk of the AU force, which often battles Somali insurgents trying to topple the government. Uganda pledged to send more troops after the insurgent group al-Shabab carried out twin bombings in Kampala last month killing 76 people.
When completed, the ongoing deployment will raise the number of AU soldiers in Mogadishu from 6,000 to 8,000.
The force has enabled the Somali government to keep control of key sites in Mogadishu - the airport, seaport, and presidential palace.
But the insurgents control most of the capital and much of southern and central Somalia. Al-Shabab and fellow Islamist group Hizbul Islam have moved to implement a harsh form of sharia, or Islamic law in the areas under their rule.
Article by VOA News