Somalis implore Uganda not to withdraw troops

Kampala(OWN)- Somalis living in Uganda have appealed to government to reconsider its threats to withdraw peace keepers from their  country.

There are fears a planned withdrawal Ugandan troops would give the momentum  to Al-Shabab Islamist militants who are losing their ruthless grip on the  country.

An estimated 30,000 Somalis live in Uganda with about 16000 found in  Kampala while others are housed at a refugee camp about 400 kilometers from  the capital.

Last week, Uganda threatened to withdraw its troops from a peace keeping  mission in Somalia after a United Nations Group of experts accused  Kampala  and Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo  (DRC).

The government dismissed the report by the exports as “rubbish.”

In a statement Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi said: “Uganda’s withdrawal from  regional peace efforts including Somalia, Central African Republic would become  inevitable unless the UN corrects the false accusations made against Uganda by  bringing out the truth about Uganda’s role in the current regional efforts.”

Uganda has over 7000 troops in Somalia. The soldiers have played a  prominent role in liberating Mogadishu and other areas in Somalia.

Hassan Hussein, the chairman of the Somali community in Uganda said the East  African country had a big role to play in bringing peace to the Horn of Africa  country.

“Some refugees had started going back to Somalia after the AMISOM  troops  overpowering Al Shabab militants and sending them out of  Mogadishu  and other areas,” he said.

“That has been possible because of Uganda’s troops. If Uganda pulls out her  soldiers, Al-Shabab will re-occupy the country.”

He urged the Uganda government to ignore the UN report.

A leader of Somali refugees at the Nakivale refugee camp Abbas Frah said  Al-Shabab had not been defeated and the departure of Ugandan troops would create  a vacuum that the militants can take advantage of.

“Uganda should not accept that to take place,” he said.

 

 

 

 

deeq x aadan

 

office oodwayne new.com

uganda/ kampala