African Union troops commander visits UPDF troops in southern Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - As part of the morale booster, a top African Union forces commander visited AMISOM troops serving in southern Somalia, reports indicate, in a trip which comes amid increasing Al-Shabaab attacks against security forces in the war-torn nation.

Brig. Gen Richard Otto, the commander of Ugandan People's Defense Forces [UPDF] serving in AMISOM, visited troops serving in Baraawe town within Lower Shebelle, about 208 kilometers from Mogadishu, AMISOM said in a statement, Thursday.

The troops repulsed an Al-Shabaab attack within the newly refurbished Baraawe airport base in April, after the militants tried to force their way into the UPDF military base. The suicide bomber detonated the VBIED outside the base, police had said.

Also, the contingent played an integral role in flushing out Al-Shabaab militants from Janaale, an agricultural-rich town within the Lower Shebelle region in March this year. The liberation of the town remains one of the biggest achievements by AU and SNA troops in Somalis this year.

At Baraawe, Gen. Otto, who spent time with Twenty-Nine [BG XXIX], the Battle Group from UPDF in southern Somalia, commended them for their discipline and reminded them of their core task to protect civilians, secure population centers and ensure peace and security.

“I want to congratulate and thank you all, from the commanders to the soldiers for being on top of the security situation here. You have managed to defeat Al-Shabaab in this area and hold ground” Gen. Otto said as quoted by AMISOM.

He lauded the troops for the capture of Janaale, which had been for a long time used as the base for the generation of income by Al-Shabaab, through forceful taxation commonly known as Zakat. Over 140 militants were killed during the March operation.

The militants had also harassed and recruited innocent civilians to their designated terrorist network according to reports gathered by AMISOM. Somali National Army has been running affairs in the town since its liberation.

Gen. Otto commended the soldiers for their vigilance, mentioned that a total of sixty Improvised Explosive Devices [IEDs] and two Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices [VBIEDs] had been destroyed in Barawe since January. He said this reflected the combat readiness of AMISOM troops.

Also, he urged the troops to continue to adhere to the safety protocols for COVID-19 to prevent the spread of the virus. He wanted them to, however, remain alert, noting that Al-Shabab still poses a threat, especially to the civilian population.

COVID-19 has continued to wreak havoc in Somalia and has so far left over 2,700 people infected. While a substantial number has recovered, the death toll has reached 87, the second-highest within the region after Kenya, which has recorded 124 fatalities.

The BG XXIX Commander, Col. Edward Kaddu, thanked the Contingent Commander for his support and pledged to continue working closely with the local administration, communities, and cultural leaders to peacefully co-exist to maintain peace and stability in the area.

Col. Kaddu also commended the troops for successfully repulsing an attempted attack on Baraawe Airport by Al-Shabaab terrorists, adding that the troops will always remain alert as a strategy to handle the impending threats.

"Thwarting their plans in April was one of our major achievements. We shall always remain alert so that we defeat this enemy together. We thank the African Union for always supporting our troops here," he added.

The Uganda contingent commander was accompanied on the tour by the commanders of Uganda’s BG XXVII, XXVIII-Col. Sam Kosiya Kutesa and Col. Wilberforce Sserunkuuma, respectively, and the AMISOM Sector One Chief Administrative Officer, Col Elvis Byamukama, AMISOM noted.

Despite being significantly degraded, Al-Shabaab has continued to wage small to large scale sporadic attacks within Somalia and across the borders. Kenya is one of the worst-hit nations due to proxy wars in Somalia, following the deployment of KDF under Operation Linda Nchi in 2011 in Somalia.

AMISOM troops are set to formally leave Somalia in 2021 after which they'll hand over security responsibilities to SNA troops. Currently, there are close to 22,000 AMISOM troops in Somalia, mainly drawn from Uganda, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Burundi.

GAROWE ONLINE