EU suspends funding to AU peacekeepers

Mubende

The European Union has suspended its financial support to African Union peacekeepers in Somalia over the delay by the continental body to account for the past funds, the Defence Minister, Dr Crispus Kiyonga, has said.

The suspension has left the peacekeepers composed of Ugandan and Burundian forces in Somalia without operational allowances for the last three months.
However, Dr Kiyonga on Wednesday told Ugandan peacekeepers who returned from Somalia three weeks ago, that the matter will be resolved soon.

“We owe you some money. The delay was caused by African Union because the donors have withheld the money due to accountability issues,� Dr Kiyonga told the soldiers in Mubende.

The minister also said that findings by the World Health Organisation investigation into the causes of the strange ailments that killed two Ugandan peacekeepers indicated that the deaths were caused by malnutrition and not poison as the Al-Shabaab rebels had claimed.

“The investigations indicate that it was lack of VitaminB1 in the food they were eating. But now soldiers are getting sufficient fresh fruits, a move that will prevent recurring of such ailments,� he said.

The United Nations has taken over the role of supplying food, transport and medical support to the 5,000 peacekeepers who were attacked last month in a twin-suicide car bombs that left 17 soldiers dead.

The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, praised the peacekeepers for their role in calming down the three-day-riots in Kampala instigated by the government’s refusal to allow the Kabaka visit Kayunga District.

He said: “You returned when people were throwing stones in Kampala and our brothers, the Police, were having difficult times. But you did a great job to calm down the situation. I must say thank you.� Over 1,000 soldiers were deployed to reinforce Police during the riots that left 24 dead.

Gen. Aronda said UPDF is prepared to attack the Allied Democratic Forces if DR Congo allows Uganda to enter its territory. “But if we don’t get permission to enter, we shall wait for them at the border,� he said.