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| Uganda troops 'arrive in Somalia' | Uganda troops 'arrive in Somalia' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A small advance team of African Union peacekeepers has arrived in Somalia, Somali officials have said. | |
| Police sources and airport staff in the southern town of Baidoa told a BBC correspondent that 30 Ugandan soldiers had arrived in the town by plane. | Police sources and airport staff in the southern town of Baidoa told a BBC correspondent that 30 Ugandan soldiers had arrived in the town by plane. |
| However, a Ugandan military spokesman denied the report. | However, a Ugandan military spokesman denied the report. |
| A total of about 8,000 African Union (AU) peacekeepers are due to be sent to Somalia to replace Ethiopian troops, who helped oust Islamists last year. | A total of about 8,000 African Union (AU) peacekeepers are due to be sent to Somalia to replace Ethiopian troops, who helped oust Islamists last year. |
| Uganda is expected to send some 1,500 troops, but has said the deployment will not begin until next week. | Uganda is expected to send some 1,500 troops, but has said the deployment will not begin until next week. |
| "There are no Ugandan troops in Baidoa, there are no Ugandan troops in Somalia," Paddy Ankuna, a military spokesman, said. | "There are no Ugandan troops in Baidoa, there are no Ugandan troops in Somalia," Paddy Ankuna, a military spokesman, said. |
| New violence | New violence |
| Somalia has seen a new spike in violence in recent weeks, two months after Ethiopian troops backed a campaign against the Union of Islamic Courts by the country's transitional government. | |
| Officials have blamed the rise in violence on the high number of weapons available in the capital, Mogadishu. | Officials have blamed the rise in violence on the high number of weapons available in the capital, Mogadishu. |
| So far only half of the 8,000 required soldiers have been contributed by AU member states. | So far only half of the 8,000 required soldiers have been contributed by AU member states. |
| Nigeria has said its 850 soldiers will be deployed from the middle of April in three phases. | Nigeria has said its 850 soldiers will be deployed from the middle of April in three phases. |
| Other countries that have pledged to send troops are Ghana, Burundi and Malawi. | Other countries that have pledged to send troops are Ghana, Burundi and Malawi. |