AU Gives UPDF Mandate to Attack Extremist group al-Shabaab , UPDF Changes Somalia Troops

( TF.SF) The African Union (AU) has reviewed the mandate of UPDF in Somalia and allowed the Ugandan forces to attack the Al-shabaab militants, the Defence Minister announced yesterday.
Dr Crispus Kiyonga told Journalists after flagging-off three UPDF battalions to Somalia at Entebbe military airbase yesterday that the earlier mandate constrained the UPDF and was deadly as it demanded the peacekeepers to fight back only if they were attacked first.The new mandate now means that the UPDF can carry out pre-emptive attacks on the insurgents in the war tone Horn of Africa country.
While three battalions left Entebbe yesterday, three others returned from Somalia in a rotational arrangement. Mr Kiyonga told journalists yesterday that the UPDF mandate was reviewed last week at the AU emergency summit in Mr Kiyonga represented President Yoweri Museveni at the summit."Our view as Uganda and Burundi has been that the mandate under which we are operating was very constraining," Mr Kiyonga said. "We would have made much more progress if the mandate was more facilitating. Currently, the army just seats where they are in their detachments even when they have information that insurgents are just two kilometres away," he said, "They [UPDF] can not attack them. We wait for insurgents to shoot first and we respond."
Uganda and Burundi have more than 4,000 troops deployed in Somalia.
The heavily undermanned and underfunded peacekeeping force is meant to secure the Presidential Palace, air and sea ports and the city's main roads but has come under increasing attacks from Islamic extremists

UPDF changes Somalia troops
African Union peacekeeping forces at Entebbe air base upon their return from Somalia

A contingent of Ugandan soldiers yesterday returned home from Somalia to give way for deployment of new ones for peacekeeping in the war-torn country. The group is part of the 2,700 soldiers who have been in Mogadishu for nine months under the African Union Peacekeepers Mission in Somalia (AMISOM. All will be withdrawn and replaced with a similar number. The army explained that this was part of a routine rotational exercise to prevent battle fatigue. The first contingent were flown into Entebbe air base yesterday afternoon by an Algerian airforce plane. On arrival they mounted a parade and handed over the Ugandan flag to minister of defence Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, who in turn handed it to the new group going to Somalia. Present at the ceremony was the commander Land Forces, Lt. Gen. Katumba Wamala and the commander of the Air force, Maj. Gen. Jim Oweyesigire. Kiyonga hailed the withdrawing troops for exercising discipline, and showing bravery, professionalism and African patriotism while they served in the war-torn Somalia. “In deploying UPDF to Somalia, we are carrying out a revolutionary duty to free Africa of violent conflict,” Kiyonga remarked. As part of the new deployment, UPDF’s Col. Nathan Mugisha now becomes the overall AMISOM force commander, taking over from the withdrawing Gen. Francis Okello. Also, Col. Tumusiime Katsigazi now becomes the commander of the Uganda contingent, taking over from Col. Jack Bakasumba. ..more..http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/693573