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Plain textM7: Why I Sent UPDF Troops To Somalia
President Yoweri Museveni has said the Somali people are in desperate need for support to establish a minimum recovery plan, Chimpreports.com reveals.
The President said such a plan should include maintaining peace, relief efforts, recovery of infrastructure such as health, education and re-establish production.
“The Somalis are dying to achieve this. We can undermine warlords if we have groups delivering humanitarian aid including food, medicines etc to the people directly. Take relief to the population and talk to them about how they want it managed. People want to survive not to take sides in local quarrels. To support the population to start production so that relief is not endemic will help people regain their sovereignty over warlords,” he said.
The President was on Thursday meeting the UKs Deputy National Security Advisor to Prime Minister David Cameron, Oliver Roddins who paid a courtesy call on him at his country home in Kisozi, Gomba district.
President Museveni called on donors to support a minimum recovery plan for the Somali people if they are to make a real difference in this war torn country, adding that for any country to recover from war, it must have strong pillars of the state including an educated army and the civil service or a strong political movement.
“Where Africa acts together, they get good results. Like Idi Amin, we worked with Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique and resolved that. It was the same when we were fighting the Portuguese in Mozambique, the whites in South Africa and the Americans in Angola,” said Museveni.
WHY I SENT TROOPS TO SOMALIA
The President further indicated that he sent thousands of troops after realizing that dangerous Islamist militants’ stay in Somalia would jeopardize regional peace and stability.
“We saw a breakdown in Somalia, we figured the situation could be dangerous, given that our neighbours are Arabs and Middle East groups like the Pakistanis. We thought this would be dangerous for Africa,” he said.
The President was responding to Oliver Roddins comments hailing Uganda for its contribution to setting the agenda on Somalia and delivering change there.
The UPDF-led AMISOM troops recently liberated Mogadishu from Al Qaeda-linked terrorists Al Shabaab.
On Friday, AMISOM crossed River Shabelle, capturing the strategic town of Afgoye which was the militants’ stronghold.
AMISOM is now in good position, having seized Afgoye, 30km (18 miles) north-west of Mogadishu. It lies on a strategic crossroads for routes to the north, west and south of Somalia and had allowed al-Shabab fighters to mount frequent attacks in the capital.
On his part, Roddins commended the UPDF for its bravery and professionalism in Amisom, adding that this did not only ensure military change but also success in other pillars of development.
He said his country would support regional efforts for peace in Somalia. He said his country would also look carefully at a request by the Tanzanian government to train officer cadets.
“We want to be engaged to help the country back on its feet. We want to works as part of the team led by the region,” he said.
The two leaders also discussed the conflict between South Sudan and Sudan.
The PMs advisor was accompanied by Nick Kay British Foreign Office, Africa Director and the Policy Advisor on Africa Cadvet Office Sofka Brown. The meeting was attended by the Minister for Defence Hon. Crispus Kiyonga and Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha, the deputy Ugandan ambassador to Somalia.
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Updated on 2013-06-04 10:39 |
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