The Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and Senior Presidential Advisor on Defence, Gen. (Rtd) Caleb Akandwanaho, commonly known as Gen. Salim Saleh, has identified information warfare as one of the major security challenges confronting modern armies, warning that the changing nature of conflict requires armed forces to continuously adapt to emerging threats.
Speaking during a meeting with Defence Attachés accredited to Uganda at the Heritage Farm Command Post in Kirema, Nakaseke District, Gen. Saleh said warfare has evolved significantly from conventional military engagements to more complex forms of conflict driven by information and mass mobilisation.
Drawing lessons from Uganda’s liberation struggle, he noted that contemporary security threats are increasingly taking forms that traditional military establishments did not anticipate.
“We started looking at other forms of warfare that we did not expect,” he said.
Gen. Saleh urged Defence Attachés and military officers to equip themselves with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and respond effectively to emerging security challenges.
According to him, modern security institutions must not only focus on military threats but also pay close attention to developments within society and the welfare of the population.
“There is a need for armies to understand what is happening in society and the socio-economic conditions of the people,” he said.
Gen. Saleh explained that reforms within the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces were shaped by President Museveni’s vision of a military that contributes to national development in addition to its traditional security role.
He said this thinking informed greater engagement between the UPDF and communities through programmes such as Operation Wealth Creation and the Parish Development Model.
“He envisaged a force capable of contributing to food security, participating in wealth creation, and eventually manufacturing some of its own requirements and equipment,” he said.
The meeting also highlighted the role of socio-economic transformation in promoting national stability and development.
Addressing participants, the acting Deputy Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation, Brig. Gen. Godfrey Muwanguzi, underscored the importance of agriculture in household income generation.
He said the four-acre model encourages households to maximize land use through crop cultivation and livestock farming as a means of improving livelihoods.
Representing the Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security, Maj. Gen. Richard Otto, Col. Allan Matsiko, the Assistant Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security in charge of Defence Engagements and International Affairs, thanked Gen. Saleh for sharing insights on the history of the UPDF, Uganda’s liberation struggle, and the role of Operation Wealth Creation.
The meeting was also attended by the Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Richard Todwong, and the Commander of the 1 Infantry Division, Brig. Gen. Fred Mwesigye.