Gen Muhoozi flies to Somalia after al-Shabaab attack on UPDF camp

Senior Presidential Adviser in charge of Special Operations, General Muhuji Kanrugaba mourns with UPDF peacekeepers working under the African Union Transition Mission (ATMIS) in Somalia following the May 26 attack on a Ugandan troops base by Al-Shabaab terrorists Have done

Meeting UPDF officers and men in Mogadishu, General Muhuji said, “I come to join you in condoling the passing of our fallen fighters. Let us observe a minute’s silence to pray for their souls. May the soul rest in peace and the injured get well soon.

General Muhuzi, who doubled as the first son, told the peacekeepers that the strategic leadership had identified weaknesses that led al-Shabaab to attack and storm the Bulo Marer camp, adding that both There were strategic and external factors that needed to be addressed.

He cautioned the troops not to relax due to lack of ATMIS but instead be more aggressive.

The former UPDF Commander Land Forces further said that the evacuation operation if not well-planned can cause much more casualties than any other phase of the operation.

“Citasita (hesitation) is very dangerous in war. It leads to death and eventual defeat. Survivors told me that they expected al-Shabaab to attack, but they did not react until the enemy did not get close and it broke down order and control,” Gen Muhuzi reminded.

Buulo Mareer is located along the Shabelle River which is an agricultural sub-region in drought prone Somalia. Farmers irrigate their crops overnight with tractors and donkeys. This reportedly delayed the soldiers from reacting, thinking the lights in the gardens were from farmers.

General Muhuji has been meeting with UPDF commanders and staff in Somalia for the past five days, with survivors of the attack meeting hospitalized soldiers at Level 11 Hospital.

He also visited the Somali State House where he met with Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, Chairman of the Federal Government of Somalia.

His father, President Museveni, said last Saturday that 54 bodies of Ugandan soldiers had been recovered after the attack, which he partly attributed to corruption and tactical failures among commanders, two of whom were wanted for prosecution. was taken into custody.