July 19, 2010 -- Preliminary meetings are under way for a summit of African leaders in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, a little more than a week after the city was shocked by twin suicide bombings that killed 76 people, reports VOA. The bombings have placed Somalia at the top of an agenda nominally dedicated to improving health care for Africa's infants and pregnant women.

The theme of this week's gathering is about saving the lives of women in childbirth.  One in 16 women in sub-Saharan Africa dies while giving birth, compared to one in 4,000 in the developed world.

But with memories still fresh of the bomb attacks, the summit's attention is turning more to upgrading the rules of engagement for A.U. peacekeepers in Somalia.

The summit host, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni says he wants authority for the mostly Ugandan A.U. mission in Somalia to step out of its peacekeeping role and actively pursue the al-Qaida linked Somali extremist group that claims responsibility for the blasts.

The summit will also consider a recommendation from east African leaders that AMISOM's authorized strength be raised from 8,000 to as much as 20,000.  That figure could include troops from neighboring countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya.

But following the Kampala bombings, there is a renewed sense that front-line states such as Ethiopia and Kenya should join AMISOM, since they would be most directly threatened if Somalia were to become a base for al-Qaida.

Source: VOA