Museveni ready to spend some more on pacifying Somalia

President Yoweri Museveni has assured his counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia of continued support including military hardware in an effort to ensure that the war-torn country in the Horn of Africa continues to enjoy the peace and civilian safety.

“We shall give you more equipment to address the security situation. We in the region can work towards providing equipment,” President Museveni told the visiting Sheikh Mohamud.

“You should have a plan to build a national army. The people must build their army to defend themselves,” President added.

Speaking in Kampala at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds during Uganda’s 60th Independence, Sheikh Mohamud, expressed his country’s gratefulness to Uganda’s efforts of eliminating terrorists.

“Somalia and Uganda face the same enemy, the Al Shabaab. We are grateful to Uganda for training some of our security personnel who are now front liners in the fight against these rebels,” Sheikh Muhamud said.

When Al Shabaab, an Islamist terror organization, expanded its operations into Uganda, taking responsibility of the twin bombings that left almost 100 people watching a World Cup football match at Kyadondo Rugby Club in Kampala dead, Uganda took military action and deployed in Somalia to fight the terrorists.

Uganda also trained Somali soldiers and offered other logistical support. Thereafter, a continental military force consisting of Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya was deployed to protect the Somali people and to fend off the terrorists.

Sheik Mohamud commended the presence of Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) in Somalia saying it has played a big role in ensuring security in Somalia. He revealed that the Somalian army has made big strides in promoting security, adding that the community has cooperated with the army in its work.

He was optimistic that within the next six months, his Government would have attained total victory over the Al- Shabaab terrorists.