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Foreign ministers from African Union (AU) countries are expected to back a move that would see the number of troops and amount of military hardware increased for AU peacekeepers in Somalia. The change in mandate for Amisom from peacekeeping to “peace enforcement” is designed to “engage Al Shabaab” militants, but “upon approval by the AU Summit the issue will be discussed jointly by the AU Security Council and the United Nations Security Council before an enforcement force can be put together,” according to The East African/allAfrica 26 July. Uganda and Burundi currently supply the bulk of the 6,300 troops that make up Amisom.

The US Africa Command (Africom) leader, General William Ward, said last week when addressing African specialists at a think tank in Washington, that the US could provide more support, and that Africom is gaining more acceptance from African countries. “African nations have been reluctant to host Africom due to suspicions of American intentions as well as fears that a US military installation would invite attacks,” reports The East African in a separate article. “At the same time, Africom is moving to expand its operations — not in the form of uniformed US troops, but through private contractors who will assist in efforts to safeguard American interests in Africa.”