Somalia unrest raises concerns

JOHANNESBURG - The South African Cabinet is on the brink of sending troops into the ongoing conflict in Somalia, an official has revealed.

The revelation comes after the United Nations last week said it was also considering sending in soldiers. Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary-General, talked of a light presence in the capital, Mogadishu, and other parts of the country.

The African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia is nearing its full deployment of 8000 troops.

South Africa's Government spokesman Themba Maseko said the Cabinet would discuss the possibility of sending troops to Somalia on Thursday. Maseko said he was not able to reveal the nature of troop deployment being proposed.

According to a high-ranking source, however, among the issues to be tabled will be a request from the AU that South Africa send in its National Defence Force to support the 5000 soldiers from Uganda and Burundi in Mogadishu propping up the fragile interim Government.

Somalia has been in a state of almost constant conflict since the collapse of the Government of Siad Barre in 1991. The rise of Islamist militancy there has alarmed the international community and the country's capacity to spark regional unrest has caused concern among its neighbours.

Violence has engulfed Mogadishu since the AU deployed peacekeepers in 2007 to protect the embattled Government from Islamist insurgents who control most of the rest of the country. Seventy people died in Uganda in July in revenge bombings over the country's involvement in Somalia.

South Africa's presence would significantly strengthen the embattled AU.

"Remember that South Africa is an African superpower and they would want to be seen playing key roles in the affairs of Africa," the source said.

"It appears President Zuma will definitely give a nod to the AU's request for South African military support. The Government will definitely seize the opportunity to show the continent that they are the big brothers."

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