By Tom Mugisha, tom.mugisha@alleastafrica.com
KAMPALA – President Yoweri Museveni has appointed new three Defence attaches to Somalia, Sudan and DR Congo in the latest army changes announced on Monday.
Uganda’s military Spokesperson Brig Richard Karemire said the changes were intended to enhance security and military cooperation with the three countries.
The new Uganda’s Defence attache to Somalia is Brig Lucky Kidega. He is replacing Brig Octavious Buturo who was appointed to head Uganda’s army commercial arm called Luweero Industries while Lt Col James Katera is going to Goma, eastern DR Congo as a Liaison Officer.
Brig Kidega has been the First Division Commander in Central Uganda. Brig Omera Tingira is new Defence Attachè to Khartoum.
Brig Tingira has also previously served in Somalia as an intelligence officer. Sudan and Uganda had until a few years ago been fierce regional rivals but the relations are now warmed.
“These were normal changes aimed at filling vacant positions that were vacant positions but also enhance military and security cooperation with our brotherly countries in the region,” he said.
Somalia, DR Congo and Sudan are of high security interest to Uganda. Uganda has over 6,000 troops in Somalia and the discussions to start the drawdown of these troops are ongoing.
AMISOM is supposed to handover to Somali army in 2020. The Allied Democratic Forces [ADF] is operating in the eastern DR Congo and it remains one of Uganda’s main external security threat.
In other changes, Brig Dick Olum has been moved to Kinshasa as the new Defence Attache to replace Brig Taban Kyabihende who died recently. Brig Olum was the commander of Ugandan troops in Somalia in 2014/15. He is currently the commander of the UPDF 3rd Division based in the eastern part of the country.
