President Yoweri Museveni, the commander in chief of the armed forces, has promoted Maj. Gen Sam Okiding to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed him commander of Uganda People’s Defence Forces -UPDF contingent in Somalia.
The appointment was announced on Thursday in a communication released by the spokesperson of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, Col. Deo Akiiki.
Lt. Gen Okiding replaces Brig. Gen Keith Katungi whose one-year tenure as commander of the UPDF contingent has ended. Brig Gen Katungi was appointed to command the UPDF contingent in November last year replacing Brig. Gen Don Nabasa.
Lt. Gen Okiding has been commander of land forces deputizing the first son, Gen. Kainerugaba Muhoozi, who was dropped from the position last month and replaced with Lt. Gen Kayanja Muhanga.
UPDF should have left Somalia in March this year after the withdrawal of financial support by the seven United Nations (UN) permanent members of the security council such as the US, China, the UK, France and Germany declared that foreign forces under the African Mission in Somalia -AMISOM had outlived their purpose.
But instead of leaving Somalia, countries that have foreign forces metamorphosed into African Transition Mission (ATMIS). The explanation for the stay was that leaving Somalia before its security forces have not acquired the necessary expertise to defend their country would be a ‘suicidal’ act.
Uganda, Burundi, Kenya and Ethiopia explained that there was a need to equip the Somali National Army (SNA) with combat skills for both jungles, urban fighting as well as terrorist acts of planting bombs in the middle of roads, markets, worship places, hospitals and hotels which Al-Shabab militants have used over the years to kills of hundreds of Somalis and foreign forces.
Lt. Gen Okiding goes to Somalia at a time when Al-Shabab fighters are at their best form of using Improvised Explosive Devices -IEDs to kill foreign forces, foreign civilians, and government officials perceived to be loyal donations from countries they describe as non-religious.
Five days ago, two IEDs planted into cars exploded near the ministry of education in Mogadishu killing more than 100 people. Al-Shabab group linked to Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility and explained that the place they hit was getting funding from non-religious countries to kill the Islamic faith.
Uganda has been in Somalia since 2007 and since the deployment, the UPDF and Police have trained Somali nationals with military and policing skills. Many have been trained here and in their own countries. However, the biggest number of trained Somali soldiers and police officers would end up crossing into Al-Shabab because the governments have been failing to raise resources to cater for their wages.
In May this year, Al-Shabab planted an IED that killed over 30 Burundian forces. Other countries like Uganda have had a number of casualties and in September AU team visited wounded ATMIS forces receiving treatment in Nairobi, Kenya.
