The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth, has officially received the newly appointed Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Regional Delegation, Kedir Awol Omar, during a courtesy visit at the Defence Headquarters in Mbuya.
The meeting served to introduce the new ICRC regional leader and to reinforce the long-standing cooperation between Uganda and the humanitarian organisation.
Oboth-Oboth expressed deep appreciation for the ICRC’s unwavering support to Uganda, especially during the country's most turbulent periods. He noted that Uganda has emerged stronger from its challenging history and is now recognized as an active contributor to peace efforts across Africa.
“Uganda is a country that went through a lot because of the turmoil experienced since independence. We have built peace from those difficult experiences. We now remain a net exporter of peace and will not allow a return to instability,” he said.
He credited Uganda’s sustained progress and stability to the government’s four guiding principles—Pan-Africanism, patriotism, democracy, and socio-economic transformation—which he said continue to shape the country’s development and regional leadership.
Oboth-Oboth also commended the ICRC for its broad range of ongoing initiatives within Uganda, including capacity-building programs and pre-mission briefings conducted jointly with the Uganda Red Cross Society for Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) troops preparing for international deployment.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to conflict prevention and welcomed strengthened collaboration with the ICRC under Omar’s leadership.
The meeting concluded with mutual assurances to continue deepening cooperation in humanitarian assistance, peacebuilding, and regional security.