President makes surprise visit to Somalia
Museveni (R) visits the Amisom hospital in Mogadishu yesterday. PHOTO BY JOHN NJOROGE
What you need to know:
THE VISIT
- At about 12.30pm, Museveni’s Gulf Stream V touched down at Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu.
- He was driven to the Ugandan contingent command centre at Halane Base Camp.
- He was welcomed by the Amisom force commander, Maj. Gen Nathan Mugisha, his deputy from Burundi Maj. Gen Cyprian Hakiiza, Col. Michael Ondonga (Uganda Contingent commander), Col. Innocent Oula (Amisom Chief-of-Staff) Lt. Col Francis Chemonges (one of the Ugandan battle group commanders) and other senior UPDF and Burundi commanders. He later held a closed-door meeting with the commanders.
- He later toured parts of the camp and visited the military level II fi eld hospital located within the camp. The hospital provides free medical care for both Amisom offi cers and civilians from all over Somalia.
- In his short address, Museveni commended the Ugandan contingent for their bravery at war with the insurgents. He asked them to remain respectful of the lives and properties of the Somali people and to protect their lives.
- At 4.15 pm, Museveni bid farewell to the troops and fl ew back to Uganda.
President Museveni yesterday made a surprise visit to the Somali capital Mogadishu. Museveni becomes the first foreign Head of State to visit war-torn Somalia in over 21 years. He last visited Somalia in 1992 when he held talks with warlord Mohammed Farrah Aideed.
His visit came less than 24 hours after the Somali Parliament approved a new cabinet led by the newly-appointed Somali Prime Minister Mohammed Abdulahi Mohammed.
During the three-hour-visit, Museveni held closed-door talks with the Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Somali Parliament and the Information Minister at Halane base camp, the Amisom Uganda Contingent Headquarters, south of Mogadishu.
He congratulated his Somali counterparts on the approval of a new cabinet and conveyed a message of solidarity to the people of Somalia.
Museveni pledged to continue assisting Somalia in every way possible to foster stability and peace in the country.
Asked about how many peacekeepers Uganda was ready to provide in addition to those on the ground, Museveni said he was ready to provide whatever number is needed if asked to do so.“
Uganda is a country of 33 million people. If there was a war we would be able to mobilise three million people. Raising troops for Somalia would not be a problem at all,” he said.
He also expressed joy over the newly approved cabinet. “I am very happy that the people of Somalia now have a new cabinet and are united,” Museveni said.
He expressed disappointment at what he called lack of seriousness by the international community over the Somali problem.
“They don’t take the Somali problem seriously. They are busy enjoying themselves in the ocean, having a nice time in the ocean. (Referring to the numerous warships that patrol the Somali coastline on the Indian Ocean) Do you know how much money they send in the ocean?
The pirates who go to the ocean to steal from ships come from land. Have you heard that Somalis have become aquatic?” Mr Museveni asked.
He called upon the international community to help the Somali transitional government and support the countries playing supportive roles to achieve stability in Somalia.
Sheikh Sharif and his government expressed gratitude to President Museveni and the people of Uganda for the assistance it has accorded Somalia since 2007. “This is a great honour and opportunity for us. We are honoured by your visit,” Sheikh Sharif said.
Asked about Museveni’s surprise visit to the Uganda contingent in Somalia, the UPDF contingent spokesperson, Cpt. Chris Magezi, described it as a miracle.
“No body here in their wildest dreams could have imagined what has just happened. The President’s visit is a massive show of solidarity with the people of Somalia and the work the peacekeepers are doing in Mogadishu. It has not been easy,” Capt. Magezi said.
He also described it as a powerful and historical event in the history of the mission and said it was extremely good for the morale of the Amisom troops.
