By By Godfrey Olukya 11-5-2017
Uganda’s president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has challenged Somalia to build its own strong army.
Speaking at Somalia conference today in London, Museveni said, ”The Somalis need to resolve the issue of whether they will re-build the Somali Army by pay or patriotism. If it is by pay, who will pay them? Is the Somali State able to pay a large Army on that big territory of 637, 657 sqkms it needs so as to pacify the whole country? The present partial pacification of the country is not good enough.”
He wondered if the international community can agree to pay a large Somali Army for some years so that the wholly liberated Somali territory can be used to generate revenues to pay the public servants and also cope with other obligations.
He said that Uganda was the pioneer troop contributing country with the leading elements of our its contingent landing in Mogadishu on the 6th of March, 2007.
”Many observers were convinced that our effort was hopeless, if not suicidal. We were, however, confident of the correctness and feasibility of our decision. This was due to our knowledge of the African peoples, those people that have inhabited this area for the last 4 million years.” Museveni said.
He said that the Troops Contributing Countries have increased to five, including Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
Among the achievements he said the Somali Government moved from exile in Kenya where it had been based to Mogadishu since 2007, the International Organizations also relocated to Mogadishu from Nairobi-Kenya, many Al-Shabaab dominated areas have been liberated and businesses are thriving in Mogadishu.
He suggested that the Somali Army and the soldiers from the TCCs could be further equipped to do more road projects in the areas of their responsibility along with the local authorities so that the country is opened up. They can also build schools and health centres for the benefit of the people.
Museveni said that liberation has to resonate with the people in the countryside.
END