Museveni promotes, appoints Gen Okiding as new ATMIS overall commander in Somalia
President Museveni who is also the commander in chief of the armed forces in Uganda has appointed Lt Gen Sam Okiding as the new overall commander of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
In a November, 3 , 2022 message, the president promoted Okiding from the rank of Major General to Lieutenant General before appointing him the new commander for the African Union troops in the Horn of Africa country.
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“The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs and the UPDF fraternity congratulate the general officer upon his well- deserved promotion and appointment. We wish him all the best in his new assignments,” the defence spokesperson, Brig Felix Kulayigye said in a statement.
Gen Okiding has previously served as the deputy Commander of the UPDF Land Forces.
He now replaces Lt Gen Diomede Ndegeya from Burundi.
ATMIS
Uganda was the first country to contribute troops to the African Union Mission in Somalia(AMISOM) in 2007 that changed the dynamics of the war against Islamic insurgent group, Al Shabaab.
The entry of UPDF saw other countries follow suit.
AMISOM has since metamorphosed into The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia(ATMIS)which is mandated with stabilising Somalia but also aim at transferring the full responsibilities of national security to the Federal Government of Somalia.
