Sunatimes(Mogadishu): The spokesman of the African Union peace keeping forces in Somalia, Maj. Barigye Ba-Hoku has declared that their stay in Somalia is legal.

The spokesman was responding to claims made by some critics of the forces and the militias opposing the government that the AMISOM forces have illegally occupied Somalia. He said their forces were in Somalia to assist the Somalis and they are on a peace keeping mission.

Mr. Ba-Hoku said that some people were making negative and bad perception and image about the AMISOM forces. He said their critics are making a bad picture out of AMISOM to ensure that the forces do not get the support of the local citizens.

Critics of the African Union peace keeping forces also accuse them for wrongfully targeting residential areas when responding to Al-shabab and Hizbul-Islam fighters who usually attack their bases and convoys with mortar and grenades. However, Maj. Ba-Hoku said that his forces have never attacked the militias even when they attack them. He said some of the people claim that AMISOM is always happy when it attacks and kills militants in the capital. He said that was a wrong perception to make.

The spokesman of AMISOM forces Maj. Barigye Ba-Hoku also said that AMISOM feels the pain in the loss of lives in Somalia as the soul of each and every individual in Somalia matters even if it is Al-shabab fighters who are also Somalis and deserve to be dealt with high dignity of humanity.

By Radio Bar-kulan