UPDF warning the AU against illicit love affairs with Somali

[Hiiraan boy]

Emmy Allio
Kampala

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday flagged off the UPDF contingent to Somalia, sternly warning the soldiers against illicit love affairs with Somali women.

At 1:45pm yesterday, the Commander-in-Chief of the army handed over the country's flag to the head of the contingent, Col. Peter Elwelu, amid dancing, loud cheers and clapping from officers and men of the UPDF at Gaddafi Barracks in Jinja.

The obviously joyous Museveni smiled as excited green-bereted soldiers marched behind their leader Elwelu, who raised the flag high. The contingent has 1,605 soldiers, of whom only three were women - lieutenants Baguma, Asiimwe and Laker.

The contingent is an infantry and tank battalion, but with members from the legal department, medical and airforce.

The UPDF buffalo trucks, lorries and mambas at the send-off parade were painted white with large African Union emblems.

Museveni dispensed parental advice in kiswahili: "I have heard that you went to doctors who found out that you do not have these dudus (HIV/AIDS). Take care of your lives when you go to Somalia. You have had enough women here."

In Uganda's last peacekeeping mission in Liberia, UPDF soldiers are said to have engaged in wild, illicit affairs.

In his farewell message, Museveni said the army is going to Somalia not to do the job of the Somalis, but to help them to do their job, and likened UPDF's role to that of a blood donor.

He emphasized that the biggest mission is to train the Somali army, and may decide to disarm any group still holding guns illegally

"We are there to empower our Somali brothers to rebuild their state and their army, and that is our main job."

He advised the soldiers to cooperate with African peacekeepers from Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, South Africa and Burundi.

The overall head of the African Union mission is UPDF's Maj. Gen. Levy Karuhanga.

Several dozen train wagons loaded with tanks, armoured personnel carriers, heavy weaponry and trucks began a journey to Somalia yesterday afternoon from the Uganda Railways main terminal in Kampala. The freight is expected to arrive in Somalia in eight days.

[eyes-only]

There is something seriously wrong with the way he said it. I think what he was trying to do is rid himself of any future consequences. What does he mean 'you've had enough women here, and you don't have these dudus' ...he practically put it in their mind to have illicit love affairs with Somali women. Anyway, I'm sure there will be a few Ugandan children in Somalia at the end of this just like there are Nigerian children...well at least two I can confirm.

[Ceelgabo]

Sending African peacekeepers to SOmalia is like sending them to paradise full of beautiful woman..I mean what is an African who is used to dhagax do when he sees fine Somali woman..Wallahi I don't know what the TFG is thinking of when they are asking other African countries or peacekeeper..atleast ask for Indonesians, Chinese, Turkish peacekeepers instead of African peacekeepers....