Uganda: President Receives Somali Premier

Uganda Media Centre
Monday, July 02, 2012

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President Yoweri Museveni has held a meeting with the visiting Somali Prime Minister, Professor Abdweli Ali.

During the meeting that took place last evening at the President’s country home in Rwakitura, Kiruhuura district, Mr. Museveni and Premier Ali delved into issues concerning the on-going process of rebuilding Somalia as a sovereign state.

The meeting was attended by the Somali Deputy Minister of Finance, Ali Farah, Uganda’s envoy in Somalia General Nathan Mugisha and the Somali envoy to Uganda, Sayyid Ahmed.

Uganda forms the bulk of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) peace-keeping contingent. Uganda and Burundi have combined contingent of almost 10,000 serving in peace-keeping roles in Somalia. Other AU member countries that have a presence in efforts to stabilize the situation in Somalia include Kenya and Djibouti. Lt. Gen. Andrew Gutti of Uganda is the current Commander of the Military component of AMISOM.

AMISOM is an active, regional peace-keeping mission that is operated by the continental African Union with the approval of the United Nations in Somalia. AMISOM is mandated to support the structures of the Somali transitional government, implement the national security plan, train the Somali security forces and also assist in creating a secure environment for the delivery of humanitarian aid. AMISOM is also mandated to support the Somali Transitional Federal Government’s forces in their battles against the Al Qaida affiliated Shabaab militants.

The AMISOM forces in Somalia that are largely made of Ugandan and Burundi soldiers have made significant inroads against Al Shabaab militants. The contingent that had previously confined its operations to Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, has extended out to a radius of 30 kms. It is expected to be deployed as far as 90 kms outside the capital city after successive operations in the recent past that have dislodged Al Shabaab terrorists from a number of their strongholds.

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