Risdel Kasasira
Monday, March 23, 2009
In the new changes announced this week by the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, in a radio message to all army units, Col. Katsigazi has been replaced by Lt. Col. Michael Kabango who recently returned from DR Congo.
The army/defence spokesperson, Maj. Felix Kulayigye, confirmed the changes, saying Col. Katsigazi will soon be going to command the UPDF battalion which will be deployed to support the 3,000 African Union forces in the fragile Somalia.
“I know he is going to Somalia soon. But I don’t know when. Their mission is to reinforce the AU forces,” he said.
Both Uganda and Burundi are sending two battalions each to reinforce the thinly-placed AU forces after Ethiopia withdrew its 3,000 soldiers in January. Maj. Kulayigye described Col. Katsigazi, who replaced Col. Dick Bugingo as Military police boss in 2007, as a senior and competent commander.
“A year before he replaced Col. Bugingo, he had returned from India to do a command and senior staff course. He has what it takes to command this mission,” he said.
According to military sources, Col. Katsigazi was behind the creation of a Taekwondo unit in the military police to counter violent demonstrations in Kampala without using guns.
Col. Katsigazi, who was a Captain in 2003, was named by the President to head a special court martial session to try all senior officers including the former army commander, Maj. Gen James Kazini, before the mainstream court martial in Makindye took over the trials.
His successor, Col. Kabango, commanded a mobile UPDF unit in Somalia for a year before they returned in December 2008.
Only troops from Uganda and Burundi are in Somalia, although the AU wanted 8,000 for the country that is a byword for anarchy.
Early this year, the Chairman of African Union Commission, Mr Alpha Konare, recommended a six-month extension for the peacekeeping force in Somalia and lashed out at member states for failing to honour pledges for troops.
Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana who had pledged forces in 2007 never honoured their promise of contributing to the required 8,000 peacekeeping force in Mogadishu.
AMISOM has been carrying out peacekeeping duties in Mogadishu, where Islamist insurgents have been fighting an interim government. Near daily clashes in the capital killed 6,500 civilians in 2007.
Source: Daily Monitor, Mar 23, 2009