US calls for UN force in Somalia by June 1

UNITED NATIONS – The United States circulated a draft resolution calling for a U.N. peacekeeping force to be deployed in Somalia by June 1 to replace an African Union force now confined to a small area of the capital.

The draft obtained Monday by The Associated Press would renew the mandate of the AU force for six months and urge African nations to increase its strength from the current 2,600 to the 8,000 originally called for before the U.N. deploys its force.

The resolution is drafted under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which is militarily enforceable, and declares that "the situation in Somalia constitutes a threat to international peace and security in the region."

The Horn of Africa nation is at a dangerous crossroads. The president resigned in late December, saying he had lost most of the country to Islamic insurgents, and the Ethiopian troops who have been protecting the weak U.N.-backed government have begun pulling out. Islamic groups are starting to fight among themselves for power.


Credits: Associated Press