Tuesday August 9, 2022
Mogadishu (HOL) - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni told a Somali delegation in Kampala on Monday that his government was willing to assist Somalia in its fight against Al-Shabaab but that his country did not have the financial capabilities to pay for the salaries of Somali soldiers.
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"We can help Somalia to defeat Al Shabaab. If it's a question of weapons, we can buy them and give it to them (Somalia). We can buy uniforms and even share food, but we cannot manage the salary. Salary, for even a month, we can't manage."Museveni said the practice of getting Somalia's international partners - namely the UAE, Qatar and Turkey - to fund the arming and training of Somali soldiers is not sustainable. He added that security is imperative for the survival of a nation.
"When will you (Somalia) get security? If I'm a poor woman who doesn't have money, I can still defend my home. I can mobilize my son and brother, and we will defend our home. We want peace.
The Ugandan president made these comments following a meeting with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who is in Kampala for a two-day state visit.
Mohamud was received at Kampala's Entebbe International Airport by a government delegation that was led by Uganda's foreign affairs minister, General Jeje Odongo.