KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Regional leaders say they want Somalia’s central government to take control of Kismayo, a disputed port city where there has been fighting between rival militias.

African leaders said in a statement at the end of a summit in Uganda that control of Kismayo’s seaport and airport “should be handed over” to the Mogadishu-based government.

The decision puts pressure on Kenya, whose troops in Kismayo have been accused of backing one militia, the Raskamboni brigade, against others in fighting there. The Raskamboni brigade -which helped Kenya to push al-Shabab militants out of Kismayo – is led by a warlord who has established a local administration in Kismayo that’s independent of the central government.

The Kampala summit, Uganda’s capital, was attended by leaders of African countries that have sent peacekeepers to Somalia.

Source: AP