Both the NUP party president Hon. Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert and the Leader of Opposition Rt. Hon. Mathias Mpuuga have separately issued statements concerning the tragic Friday attack on the ATMIS camp.
We’ve reproduced the statements as they’ve been issued;
Bobi Wine;
The media has been awash with reports of a devastating attack on a UPDF base in Somalia on Friday, where Al-Shabaab militants claimed to have killed 137 soldiers. As we all wait for more details, I wish to send deepest condolences to the people of Uganda, more so the families, that are directly affected by this tragedy.
Even as we mourn them, I wish to reiterate our call that the gallant men and women who put their lives on the line in the call of duty, deserve to be treated better in life and in death. We all know that Ugandan soldiers deployed in Somalia have been complaining about unpaid allowances- some going up to twelve months! This and other logistical as well as operational aspects deserve urgent assessment and attention. Sadly, the regime in Uganda will seek to cover this up like they have done in the past and seek to move on as quickly as possible!
May their souls rest in peace.
Mathias Mpuuga statement
STATEMENT ON AL-SHABAAB ATTACK ON UPDF BASE IN SOMALIA
Yesterday, the country received disturbing news of a deadly attack on the UPDF-manned African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) base in Bulo-Marer, Lowe Shebelle region by the Al-Shabaab militants.
Reports suggest that the Al-Shabaab killed 137 of our soldiers and many were taken captive as prisoners of war.
We send sympathies to the families and friends of the victims. We mourn together this tragic loss of those gallant sons and daughters of our motherland who died on duty.
The UPDF command has been vague in its communication regarding the incident and anxiety is high in many families who have relatives deployed in Somalia under ATMIS.
We hope that the UPDF command will provide clear information in regard to this particular attack on our forces.
We believe that it is about time that we audited our troops’ presence in Somalia, take stock of gains and losses since 2007; interrogate the extent of preparedness, motivation and capacitation provided to our troops in such an evidently dangerous and unconventional war situation, to warrant and guarantee future presence.
