Mogadishu,(insidesomalia.org)- The commander of Ugandan AMISOM troops general Francess Okello has described Mogadishu’s insecurity talks in the main Bakara market as “step forward”

Speaking to Shabelle radio by phone Mr. Okello says that elders including Hawiye elders are leading the talks that aimed to restore peace in the Somali capital following deadly attacks in the city in the last weeks and within the holy month of Ramadan.

“Thanks to the elders, traders and Hawiye elders showing the way to the peace in Mogadishu” General Okello said.

Asked about whether AMISOM involves the talks he denied those remarks.

“We are not in Bakara market as you know we receive the information about the talks in daily, so its advanced way” He further said.

In a bloody month even by Somalia's extreme standards, insurgents have

increasingly turned their fire on African Union (AU) troops. Analysts

view that as a tactic to prevent more foreign intervention in a nation

in civil conflict since 1991.

The insurgents shelled an AU base from various sides,

prompting heavy return fire and tank incursions into a market area

viewed as a rebel stronghold.

The AU, whose 2,200 Ugandan and Burundian peacekeepers have done little

to quell the war, said it suffered no casualties.

The pan-African body wants to hand over to the United Nations, but that

organisation is wary of entering a quagmire some are calling "Africa's

Iraq", especially given its disastrous attempt to impose peace there in

the early 1990s.

"The insurgents have decided to hit the AU hard to intimidate Africa

from sending any more soldiers and to make the likelihood of U.N.

intervention even more remote," said a Western diplomat who tracks

Somalia.

Drought and high food prices have compounded the effect of the conflict

on a traumatised population, one million of whom live as internal

refugees. With attacks on aid workers common, relief agencies face a

dangerous task to help Somalis.

The AU troops have killed hundreds of people in response shelling against the Islamists attacked their positions.

Source: Shabelle Media Network