Uganda’s Threat to Pull Peacekeepers Out Sparks Debate

Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)

3 June 2011

Mogadishu — Some of Somali parliamentarians on Friday expressed their different point of views about the Ugandan president’s statement of pulling out his troops from Somalia if Somalia’s current government mandate is not extended by one year.

Nur Mataan, a Somali lawmaker in gedo region in southern Somalia, welcomed Museveni’s statement.

He said that it is necessary the tenure extension of Somali government at this time as Somali forces backed by African Union peacekeepers made huge gains in battle against Al shabaab.

For his part, Mohammed Abdi-hamid Hajji, another MP described the statement of Yuweri Museveni is regrettable, adding that the Ugandan president is not needed to interfere international politics of the horn of African nation.

President Museveni yesterday warned that Uganda would withdraw its troops from Mogadishu if UN-pushed presidential and parliamentary elections in Somalia spark renewed assault by al-Shabaab militants.

“This may allow the extremists to re-organise and cause problems, and also undermine the battlefield gains we have made. We can’t allow to be in that situation,” he said at the ongoing 19th International Contact Group on Somalia conference in Kampala.

“If the current system collapses, or if it is seriously undermined, we can have no justification to stay in that situation–we will leave Somalia,” he added.

The UPDF began deploying in Somalia in March 2007 and government said it sent the soldiers there under African Union mandate in the “spirit of Pan Africanism”, although other countries like Nigeria that promised to contribute troops continue to dither.

Burundi is the only other country to contribute to AMISOM that keeps guard mainly over vital State installations such as the presidential villa, Parliament and supply harbours as well as the airport.

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