Germany to Send Cargo Planes to Help Somalia
Germany said Saturday that it will send as many as eight military transport planes to Somalia to help distribute aid there.
Defense Minister Volker Ruehe had expressed frustration with restrictions on German troops joining the U.S.-led relief mission there and said Friday that he was looking into non-military tasks for them.
“As soon as possible, the German air force will send up to eight Transall C-160 transport planes to Mombasa, Kenya, and Djibouti in order to distribute badly needed aid in Somalia,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s government and the opposition Social Democrats are expected to hold talks in January on possible changes in a policy, adopted after World War II to prevent a rebirth of German militarism, limiting troops to defending NATO territory.
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