US army trains Uganda military officers for Somalia mission

August 15, 2013 (KAMPALA) – The US army has trained 145 Ugandan military police officers who are set for deployment in Somalia under the auspices of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

The soldiers were passed out on Wednesday at a military training facility in the central Uganda district of Nakaseke.

The state controlled New Vision daily newspaper reported on Thursday that the training covered various aspects of military police training such as public order management, conducting military operations in an urban environment, medical skills and manning checkpoints, among others.

Lt. Col William Wyatt, the Chief of Cooperation at the US embassy in Kampala was quoted by the New Vision as saying that the Ugandan soldiers had benefitted from skills needed in an operation environment.

In March 2007 Uganda was the first country to deploy troops in Somalia followed by Burundi, Djibuti and Kenya.

Ugandan troops make the bulk of AMISON troops fighting Al-Shabaab.

The country’s contribution in the fight against the Al-Shabaab has been praised by the West most notably the US and Britain who have both been involved in training Ugandan troops before their deployment in Somalia.

(ST)