Ugandan Forces Kill Senior Al-Shabab Leader in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) troops killed a senior Al-Shabaab leader in Lower Shabelle, marking yet another significant recovery in the ongoing military operations across Somalia, as the country fights violent extremism.

The UPDF troops serve in the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and are important stakeholders in Somalia’s stabilization mission — they first joined in 2007 and have worked closely with local and international actors.

Sources within the peacekeepers say the deceased, Osman Hussein Bune Amiir, was a dependable operative within the Al-Shabaab group in Lower Shabelle and was killed following an ambush near Buulomareer on Sunday, September 14th.

UPDF Directorate of Communications led by Sector One Commander, Brig. Gen. Joseph Musoke Ssemwanga said the operation also led to the recovery of a pistol with three loaded magazines, a pouch, binoculars, and two mobile phones, among other items.

Brigadier General Ssemwanga also visited various Forward Operating Bases where he assessed the preparedness of the contingent in the fight against Al-Shabaab. Uganda has a force of about 3,000 troops in Somalia.

In August, Ugandan troops under AUSSOM, working in coordination with the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF), killed more than 50 Al-Shabaab militants, including several senior commanders, during a major operation in Bariire within the vicinity of Lower Shabelle.

There was a significant drawdown of soldiers in Somalia as AUSSOM seeks to cut costs after international partners reduced their support, with the mission now accommodating only 11,000 officers, down from 22,000 in 2020 before the implementation of the Somali Transition Plan (STP).

But the leadership of the country has challenged international partners to increase the support, arguing that the move could erode gains made in the Al-Shabaab war. The opposition in Somalia accuses the government of abandoning the fight against terrorism, subsequently diverting attention to internal politics.

GAROWE ONLINE