The Ugandan troops in Somalia

MOGADISHU: The Ugandan troops in Somalia received humanitarian assistance of assorted drugs worth $463,000. Paddy Ankunda, the AU army spokesman in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, said it was the first time an organisation has donated to AU peacekeepers in Somalia.

AMISOM Spokesman in Somalia, Captain Paddy Ankunda: The donation came from an American charity Organization, The Islamic Relief USA. "The drugs have already been delivered to the forces," he said.

"To us on the ground, this is a good gesture. It indicates that somebody out there appreciates what the forces are doing. This assistance will definitely ease the humanitarian situation," he added.

He pointed out that the gesture serves as an awakening call to other agencies who have abandoned Somalia owing to security reasons.

"The UPDF has the security required to deliver such humanitarian aid to the population. Aid agencies should therefore pass over such aid to the AU peacekeepers who will then deliver it to the people," he said.

Several African countries that pledged deploying troops in Somalia had yet to fulfil their promises because of inadequate technical and financial support that was expected from major donor countries, the Unites States and the Europeans.

Ankunda said the Ugandan troops will linger in the strife-ridden country holding the African Union flag until the rest African peacekeeping forces land at the soil of Somalia.

"We came to wage peace in Somalia, and for peace we shall stay. AMISOM will also continue to extend humanitarian assistance whenever it has the means to do so. This assistance will benefit everybody," he said.