The UN Security Council on Tuesday authorized the African Union peacekeeping mission to remain in Somalia until January in order to pursue its mandate of restoring stability in the troubled nation, according to dpa. The mission currently is composed of more than 4,300 military troops provided by African nations, below the ceiling of 8,000 troops allowed by the council. Both Somalia and the AU have called for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping operation, but the UN leadership said the time is not appropriate for a broader international force. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a report on Somalia to the council that while the council is considering the deployment of an international force it should extend the African force's mandate. "The present political progress and opportunities for peace in Somalia are real and have been hard won," Ban said. "They deserve the international community's thoughtful, generous and sustained effort." Ban said the deployment of a UN force, if it is agreed to by the council, would be done incrementally, with clearly defined objectives and security permitting. The UN has given wide support to the current transitional government in Mogadishu headed by President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who has recently survived a coup launched by military opponents who are opposed to his reconciliation and political programmes.
