Somalia: Uganda wants compensation for lost lives

By Pascal Kwesiga and Faith Amongin             

Uganda has expressed dissatisfaction about the delay in compensating the families of soldiers killed and military assets lost under the UN funded African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

According to the defense minister, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, Uganda has not yet been compensated for the lives of soldiers killed and military hardware lost in the mission area including a helicopter that crashed in Mt. Kenya in 2012 en route to Somalia, killing seven soldiers on board.

“We have lost many troops as the troop contributing countries including the eight soldiers who were killed in Mogadishu on Christmas Day. We have lost equipment including our helicopter that crashed in Kenya, but compensation had been made,” he said.

Uganda was the first country to deploy peace keepers in Somalia in 2007 under AMISOM which was formed in 2006.

Other African countries have also contributed troops to the mission to protect the Transitional Federal Institutions of Somalia against attacks from Alshabab terrorists as the country struggles to deal with the damage caused by militant groups that have been battling for power since 1991.

The minister was opening the 2015 AMISOM retreat attended by AU officials, army chiefs from countries that have troops and police in Somalia, ambassadors and representatives from countries supporting the peace keeping mission at Sheraton hotel in Kampala on Wednesday.

The AU officials attending a two-day retreat could not comment on the compensation because they are not authorized to speak on behalf of union. The retreat is being held behind closed doors.

Source : New Vision

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