Riots: UPDF consoles bereaved ones, steps operations

The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) have sent condolences to all families which lost loved ones during riots but also stepped up operations around the country to manage curfew and contain uprisings. 

In a statement signed by the deputy spokesperson of the UPDF, Lt. Col. Deo Akiiki, the UPDF said: "Following the lawlessness that broke out following the arrest by the Police of National Unity Platform (NUP) leader and credible intelligence about groups and individuals planning to plunge the country into chaos, UPDF will carry out extensive pre-emptive and decisive operations to deal with planned and premeditated designs of criminal elements."

The UPDF said their operations will be in the Metropolitan Kampala and the rest of the country.

At least 30 people were killed and over 80 others injured in this week's riots around the country. 

Akiiki said: "The UPDF commiserates with the families of those innocent Ugandans who have lost their lives in the senseless incursions which would have been otherwise avoided if everyone played his or her role responsibly. This must not happen again during or after this electioneering period."

"We shall take a reinforced posture across the districts of Kampala, Mukono, Wakiso, Entebbe, and its environs to enable us to do a mobile thrust in and outside of the city. We shall respond and react quickly and effectively to any incident of criminality across levels."

 Akiiki added: "All roads feeding into the city shall jointly be manned while outside forces provide security to all highways to ensure that no individual or groups disrupt the normal flow of traffic and business."

"All our deployments across the country are on a preemptive posture to disable and dismantle any criminal-minded cell and act decisively to ensure security and normalcy in their area of responsibility," added the UPDF in a statement.
 
They also noted that "Effective yesterday midnight robust reinforced deployment to protect our critical infrastructure and installations is being affected and the public is hereby informed not to do any activity close or within such environs. These may include but not limited to power stations, fuel reserves, and other critical public use infrastructures and services."

More so, "We shall jointly pursue the already identified culpable leaders of these criminal groups whose status shall be determined by security depending on the gravity of their already unearthed plans."

The UPDF said that the surveillance mechanisms have been put in place to nip in the bud all evil plans by the already identified groups and individuals bent to causing chaos to Ugandans.
 
"UPDF and its auxiliary forces shall support the Police to now strictly enforce the curfew. The public is prior warned not to be on roads after 2100hrs unless you are authorized to."

They added: "We call upon Ugandans to corporate with security to isolate a few criminal-minded people to keep our country safe and secure. Elections will come and go but Uganda will remain. No amount of pressure or influence whether internal or external should divert us from protecting our motherland."