Malaysia to manage Somalia airport

Malaysia to manage Somalia airport

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): Malaysia, which has said it will withdraw its peacekeeping troops from Somalia, will send 62 airmen to manage the U.N.-controlled Mogadishu Airport today, the national news agency, Bernama, reported yesterday.

Bernama quoted Malaysian Defense Minister Najib Abdul Razak as saying the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) team will take over the airport management from the Royal Australian Air Force.

"They may be the last U.N. team to leave the country," Najib said in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

He said the airmen will leave in two C-130 Hercules planes early on November 10 and end their stint on March 31, 1995, when the U.N. mandate in Somalia expires.

He said the RMAF team would run the navigation, engineering, security and logistics operations in the Mogadishu Airport, which acts a hub for U.N. aid work.

Malaysia has announced it will withdraw its 968 troops in Somalia on March 31 following the continuing inter-clan warfare in the Horn of Africa nation.

Najib said Malaysia would request the help of Italy to ferry its troops out of Somalia when the U.N. mandate expired.