Huge weapons seized as UPDF deploys new group in Somalia

Wednesday March 30, 2016

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A massive consignment of weapons suspected to be destined for Somalia was yesterday intercepted by the French Navy Frigate FS Provence.

The weapons shipment of Russian-made AK-47 guns was in dhow sailing towards Somalia before the weapons’ smugglers were spotted by a French helicopter on routine surveillance in the Northern Indian Ocean.

It was not yet clear who was behind the shipment but Maj Gen Nakibus Lakara, the Deputy Commander of African Union troops in Somalia, yesterday said on phone from Mogadishu that it would be bad if the weapons were coming to Somalia.

“It’s only the AU Special Representative who is authorised to speak on this issue. Kindly to talk to him,” he said.

Daily Monitor was unable to get a comment from Ambassador Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira, the special representative to Somalia and Head of the AU Mission in Somalia because his phone was off.

Somalia faces UN arms embargo, and the seizure is under the United Nations Security Council mandated embargo that authorises interdiction on the high seas of illicit weapons destined for Somalia.

The seizure comes barely a month since an Australian naval ship intercepted another cache of weapons that included 1989 AK-47 rifles and 100 rocket-propelled grenades.

Other military sources in Somalia say the weapons could have been destined for Yemen where ISIS militants have been fighting to overthrow the government.

More deployment in Somalia

Meanwhile, Uganda, the lead country in the fight against the Somali insurgents al-Shabaab, on Monday deployed the new battle group of 2,000 troops.

The battlegroup replaced the rotating troops of Battle group 15 commanded by Col Silver Aguma that deployed to the Horn of Africa last year.

“Battlegroup XV under the Command of Col Silver Aguma rotates out as Battle group XVIII commanded by Col Ronald Bigirwa replaces them,” Capt. Flavia Telimulungi, the spokesperson of the Uganda Contingent, said yesterday.

The new battle group is to be located at Aribiska 40km from Mogadishu as its headquarters. “The first flight of the new battle group arrived at Mogadishu today March 28 at 0600hrs. They were received by the Uganda Contingent Commander Brig Sam Okiding.

Al-shabaab, which lost ground to AU troops, has for the last seven months carried out deadly attacks on Ugandan and Kenyans who form the bigger part of the continental force.

Last September, al-Shabaab killed 19 Ugandan troops in Janaale, South of Mogadishu while Kenyans were attacked in February.

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