Security slowly returning to Somalia

This is Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

For years, the city has been one of the most dangerous places in the world, run by warlords and filled with Islamic militants.

But that is starting to change thanks to an influx of peacekeepers from the African Union.

Here they are conducting joint patrols with the Somali police - part of a long-term plan to bring stability to this improverished country.

SOUNDBITE (English) UGANDAN FORMED POLICE UNIT DEPUTY CONTINGENT COMMANDER FENNY KYOMUKAMA, SAYING:

"The patrols we are conducting today, it is capacity building for the Somali Police Force and to give people confidence that there is security. So people should not worry, security is there."

Somalia has been plagued by decades of civil war and more recently, an Islamic insurgency lead by al Shabab, a group with links to al Qaeda.

But the 17,000 foreign troops have helped push the militants from the capital and other major towns.

Experts caution, though, that while al Shabab has been weakened, the group still remains a threat to the eventual stabilty of Somalia.