The African Union welcomed the United Nation's decision to boost the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of AU Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mohamed Annadif, said Wednesday. Annadif also hailed the decision to extend the deployment of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) which was created in 2007 – until 31 October 2014. The number of the African Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia will be increased from 17,731 to 22,126.