Parliament salutes deceased UPDF soldiers
UPDF soldiers line up caskets containing bodies of their fallen colleagues after offloading them from a UN plane at Entebbe Airbase yesterday. PHOTO BY DOMINIC BUKENYA
Parliament.
Parliament yesterday observed a minute’s silence in memory of 10 Ugandan soldiers killed in an attack by al-Shabaab militants on the African Union peacekeepers’ base at Janaale, Somalia.
The MPs thereafter tasked government to brief Parliament on the progress of the mission and what triggered such a deadly attack.
The directive came after Ibrahim Ssemuju Nganda (Kyadondo East) demanded that government briefs Parliament on the status of the UPDF mission in Somalia.
State minister of Defence Jeje Odongo presented a preliminary statement on the Tuesday attack, which indicated that the UPDF lost up to 10 soldiers and “the enemy side” lost 46. He said the two al-Shabaab attackers were captured alive.
“The struggle for peace and security in Somalia is not without challenges,” Gen Odongo said, adding that: “Much as we have made significant progress, the enemies of peace have not been completely defeated and wiped out. On the morning of September 1, 2015, at 5:30am, al-Shabaab attacked a UPDF unit at Janale, approximately 90km South East of Mogadishu.”
A few hours after the minister presented a statement to Parliament, the army issued a statement confirming 10 UPDF soldiers dead.
After presenting the statement, Gen Odongo requested that since this was a preliminary one, it should not be debated.
Parliamentarians observe a moment of silence in honour of fallen UPDF soldiers yesterday while right, soldiers wait with Ugandan flags at Entebbe Airbase for the bodies of the soldiers to arrive.
Deputy speaker Jacob Oulanyah granted the minister’s request amid protests from some members who wanted to debate the attack on Ugandan base in Janaale.
Parliament in 2007 resolved to authorise UPDF to deploy in Somalia as part of Amisom.
The minister said since 2007, UPDF, which is the single largest contingent of Amisom, “has made a significant contribution towards peace, security and development of Somalia.”
Although CNN this week reported that 45 Ugandan and Somali soldiers had been killed in the fighting, Gen Odongo said: “I am giving these figures so that you are informed and not swayed by the outrageous stories in the media.”
Some of the lawmakers who talked to Daily Monitor described the attack by al-Shabaab militants as a “a cowardly act” and asked the UPDF to remain steadfast. Inspite of the latest attack, the MPs who said the African Union force in Somalia has hardened into a war-fighting machine — and “it is winning the war”.
However, others like Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa East), said the attack should be used by those in authority to reflect on the progress made in Somalia and draft a disengagement plan.
“It’s very unfortunate and it’s an eye-opener on intelligence capacity of those responsible in the area where it occurred and reignites the call for a comprehensive plan of when we should disengage hoping that enough has been done to empower the Somalis to take charge of their own security,” Mr Niwagaba said.
