KAMPALA, Uganda – Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces Gen Wilson Mbadi on Monday met with his Somali counterpart Major General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin Addow in Kampala.
The two generals discussed the military cooperation between Somalia and Uganda as well as their collaboration in the fight against Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda’s East Africa branch.
Uganda has the largest bulk of AU troops in Somalia, with approximately UPDF 6,000 soldiers who are part of the war on Al-Shabaab. Some provide VIP protection in Mogadishu.
Addow toured Uganda’s National Defence College, where he met senior Ugandan military officers, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence following the visit.
Uganda plays a major role in the stabilization and liberation efforts in Somalia as it was the first country to deploy troops to the Horn of Africa country in early 2007.
Hundreds of UPDF soldiers lost their lives while fighting Al-Shabaab in the past 16 years.
