Govt insists on Somalia deployment
Jan 09, 2007
THE Government insists that it will deploy UPDF soldiers in Somalia strictly on a peacekeeping mission. It says the Army will not carry out any operations.
By Emmy Allio & agencies
THE Government insists that it will deploy UPDF soldiers in Somalia strictly on a peacekeeping mission. It says the Army will not carry out any operations.
State minister for foreign affairs in charge of regional cooperation Henry Okello Oryem said Uganda is looking forward into seeing that they stick to their mandate on policing, adding that the 1,000 UPDF soldiers will be joined by troops from other African countries.
Army spokesman Maj. Felix Kulayigye said the UPDF will not add more soldiers to those pledged.
He added that Parliament approval is paramount before flying the troops out.
The situation in Somalia has become complicated with the direct entry of the United States.
On Monday, a US attack plane killed people with barrages of gunfire in a remote Somali village occupied by Islamists thought to be hiding at least one al- Qaeda suspect, a Somali government source said.
In the first known direct US military intervention in Somalia since a failed peacekeeping mission that ended in 1994, a plane rained gunfire on the desolate southern village of Hayo near the Kenyan border on Monday.
Intelligence officials say Islamists are sheltering a handful of al-Qaeda members, including suspects in the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
THE Government insists that it will deploy UPDF soldiers in Somalia strictly on a peacekeeping mission. It says the Army will not carry out any operations.
State minister for foreign affairs in charge of regional cooperation Henry Okello Oryem said Uganda is looking forward into seeing that they stick to their mandate on policing, adding that the 1,000 UPDF soldiers will be joined by troops from other African countries.
Army spokesman Maj. Felix Kulayigye said the UPDF will not add more soldiers to those pledged.
He added that Parliament approval is paramount before flying the troops out.
The situation in Somalia has become complicated with the direct entry of the United States.
On Monday, a US attack plane killed people with barrages of gunfire in a remote Somali village occupied by Islamists thought to be hiding at least one al- Qaeda suspect, a Somali government source said.
In the first known direct US military intervention in Somalia since a failed peacekeeping mission that ended in 1994, a plane rained gunfire on the desolate southern village of Hayo near the Kenyan border on Monday.
Intelligence officials say Islamists are sheltering a handful of al-Qaeda members, including suspects in the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.