200808021960 | Ugandan AU peacekeeper killed in Mogadishu

Ugandan AU peacekeeper killed in Mogadishu

Mogadishu - An African Union peacekeeper from Uganda was killed on Friday after a roadside bomb explosion struck his convoy in the Somali capital, an AU officer said. "The AU forces convoy was coming from the airport when it was targeted by a roadside bomb," the officer said on condition of anonymity. "One of the soldiers died in the attack, he was from the Ugandan contingent," he added.

Several eyewitnesses confirmed the attack along one of war-scarred Mogadishu's most heavily guarded itineraries.
"A convoy of six vehicles was targeted as it was coming from the airport," said local resident Mohamed Ali Nur.

Area sealed off

"One of the vehicles was destroyed. I saw AU forces sealing off the area but I couldn't know how many people were hurt," he added.

The AU currently has about 2 600 peacekeepers deployed in the lawless Horn of Africa nation, a contingent that falls far short of the 8 000 soldiers pledged by the continental body in 2006.

Uganda was the first country to contribute troops and Burundi dispatched its own forces earlier this year.

A truce was signed in June between the Ethiopian-backed transitional government and the main Islamist political opposition movement.

The agreement led to a splinter in opposition ranks, with hardliners insisting Ethiopian troops that have occupied the country since late 2006 should leave before peace talks can begin.