Kampala,Sunatimes: As the African Union (AU) Summit is underway in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, discussions are likely to be dominated by the issue of Somali conflict and the prospect of troop surge for AU peacekeepers in the war-weary country.

The nine-day AU Summit opened in Kampala on Monday at Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo amid heightened security following last week's terror attacks in the capital with peace and security likely to overshadow the official theme of "Maternal, Infant and Child Health and Development in Africa".

The summit at the Kampala suburb will start with the opening of the 20th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee attended by AU Commission chairperson Jean Ping.

The Ugandan government confirmed that over 40 heads of state and government have confirmed attendance while 49 delegations from 53 member states arrived here for the meet.

Since the deadly July 11 attacks in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, one of the main contributors of AU peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) which were claimed by the Somali Islamist group of Al Shabaab, call for better mandate and more troop deployment have been on the rise.

The unprecedented Islamist attacks in Uganda and the threat of similar ones against the other troop contributing country of Burundi by the Somali radical group underscores that Somalia's instability is not and won't confined within its borders.

Somali government, whose President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed along with his delegations of senior cabinet and parliamentary officials are attending the AU Summit, have been urging for more assistance in its fight with militant groups and more resources for the AU peacekeeping forces in Mogadishu.