Bartamaha (Nairobi)- The Uganda People’s Defence Forces is sending a fresh contingent of peacekeepers to the war-ravaged Somalia to relieve some 1,760 peacekeepers whose duty has come to an end.
The new contingent is classified as Uganda Battle Group 5 (Ugabag5).
The army will also send 1,750 officers in May to Mogadishu to relieve a Ugandan contingent that has been operating there.
In an interview with the commanding officer of the French forces based in Djibouti, Air Brigadier General Thierry Caspar-Fille-Lambie, said the African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) have agreed to establish a 6,000 force for Somalia’s national army.
The UPDF and Burundian troops are currently on peacekeeping missions in Somalia under the African Mission on Somalia (AMISOM).
UPDF spokesman, Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye, said 2,000 Somali officers are expected to start training in Bihanga in south-western Uganda in May.
A separate team of 10 senior Police officers has been dispatched to Nairobi where they will base to train Somalia’s Police. The officers were led by Assistant Commissioner, Joram Baryayanga and Mr Simeo Nsubuga who has been head of security at Kyambogo University.
The Director of Interpol and Peace Support Operations, Mr Fredrick Kiyaga confirmed the sending of the officers in Nairobi. “There is a contingent that was approved to leave for Nairobi under the African Union Mission but I can’t ascertain whether they have gone since I am not in office,” Mr Kiyaga, said yesterday.
They are part of the 35 officers from different African countries that arrived in Nairobi, Kenya yesterday where they are to train Somalia Police, Police confirmed. This is the first time the force is training Somalia Police outside Uganda.
About 100 Uganda Police officers are expected to carry out the training in Nairobi.
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Daily monitor

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