AMISOM peacekeepers return

Tuesday, 25th January, 2011 By Raymond Baguma

A total of 4,600 Ugandan peacekeepers have returned home from Somalia to give way for the deployment of a new contingent in the war-torn Horn of Africa country.

The group, under the Uganda Battle Group V (UGABAG V), has been in Mogadishu for nine months under the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). They will be replaced with another contingent of 1,700 as part of the routine rotational exercise for the peacekeeping mission.

The Commander of the Land Forces, Lt. Gen Katumba Wamala, yesterday (Tuesday) welcomed back a group of 83 officers and men, who arrived aboard a UN-chartered plane, led by their commander, Lt. Col. Francis Chemo.

Katumba said there were positive developments in Somalia with the hope of restoring peace.

“This is a country that has been at war for a long period of time. It calls for patience and remaining focused to help the Transitional Federal Government. But we are seeing positive developments which are encouraging us to keep on helping them,” Katumba said. He also revealed that the monthly allowances of peacekeepers in Somalia under AMISOM had been increased from $750 to $1,028, effective January this year

“But we did not go there to earn money. We went there to help our Somalia brothers get back into a better world. Remuneration is secondary,” he said.

“This group faced al-Shabaab Islamic militants between July and September but held their positions well and have made us very proud,” Katumba added. Uganda and Burundi are the two countries contributing peacekeeping troops to Somalia, under the AMISOM. Uganda has 4,600 soldiers serving under AMISOM.

The withdrawal programme, which began last Saturday, is supported by the United Nations Support Office for AMISOM, according to Katumba.

Chemo said he was positive that roundtable talks with the various warring Somali militia groups would restore peace in the war-torn country that has had no stable government since 1992.