Gen. Muhoozi visits Somalia following attack on UPDF base

Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, has held talks with the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who hosted him at his official residence, Villa Somalia.

A statement from Mogadishu issued Wednesday evening states that Kainerugaba was an emissary with a special message from President Yoweri Museveni. 

Without details, the Somalia president’s office stated that the message was “on collaboration in the fight against terrorism.”

During the private talks on collaboration in the fight against terrorism, the Somalia leader condemned the recent Bulo Mareer attack on Ugandan peacekeepers. He expressed condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers.

Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha, the Acting Ambassador of Uganda to Somalia was in attendance.

Museveni recently announced that 54 UPDF  soldiers were killed on May 26, 2023, when the Al-Shabab attacked their African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) base at Bulo Mareer. 

Gen Muhoozi is the second  high ranking official to visit Somalia after the attack on the UPDF base.

The Commander of Uganda People’s Defence Forces land forces, Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga on 27th May rushed to Somalia after an attack on the UPDF base  with a team of military officials to ascertain the circumstances under which the attack happened and devise the way forward.

The  UPDF later regained full control of the forward operating base in Buulo Mareer, approximately 120km southwest of Mogadishu in Lower Shabelle region which was overran by Al Shabaab militants.

The UPDF also uprooted the militants from the nearby Buulo Mareer town and surrounding villages which had also been captured by the terrorist group.