NAKASEKE — The Commander of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) 1 Infantry Division, Brig Gen Fred Mwesigye, has commended UPDF Battle Group 43 (BG XLIII) for its contribution and operational achievements during its peacekeeping mission in Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
Brig. Gen. Mwesigye made the remarks at the International Peace Support Operations Training Centre (IPSO-TC) in Singo, Nakaseke District, where the troops completed a post-mission ideological orientation programme.
He urged the soldiers to remain disciplined, vigilant and combat-ready even after returning home, reminding them that their responsibility to defend the country remains constant.
“Despite the great successes achieved in the Somalia mission and the fact that Uganda is peaceful, do not lose your guard but remain steady to surmount any situation that would cause insecurity,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Mwesigye also encouraged the soldiers to actively participate in government wealth creation initiatives, drawing a parallel between security threats abroad and socio-economic challenges at home.
“While in Somalia, the UPDF is fighting Al-Shabaab, in Uganda, there is also Al-Shabaab in the form of poverty,” he said.
“You cannot protect civilians when you are poor. Every soldier must work hard and embrace government programs to fight Uganda’s enemy number one, poverty.”
The Commandant of IPSO-TC Singo, Col. Moses Nabaasa, praised Battle Group 43 for its exemplary performance, saying the achievement reflected the effectiveness of the revised pre-deployment training conducted at the centre.
Battle Group 43 Commander Col. Robert Koch outlined the unit’s achievements during the mission, highlighting joint operations with the Somali National Army (SNA) that resulted in the recapture of four strategic towns: Sabid Anole, Awdeegle, Bariire and Mubarak.
He also cited major operations, including Operation Silent Storm and Operation Rolling Thunder, which significantly degraded Al-Shabaab’s presence in the Lower Shabelle region.
“The mission of Battle Group 43 was to conduct security operations and degrade Al-Shabaab capabilities in Lower Shabelle in order to create conditions for stabilization and sustainable peace in Somalia. Overall, this mission was achieved,” Col. Koch said.
He added that mentoring and training the Somali National Army was a key component of the deployment, aimed at strengthening the force’s operational capacity and effectiveness.
The function was attended by senior officers, including Col. David Wataasa, Chief Instructor at IPSO-TC Singo; Lt Col Geoffrey Lutaro, Deputy Commander of Battle Group 43; Lt Col James Tabule, Commander of the Yankee Battalion; as well as component and battalion commanders and members of the Ugandan military training team at IPSO-TC.
