DP tasks gov’t to withdraw Ugandan troops from foreign countries

By Annet Nakanwagi,

KAMPALA

The Democratic Party (DP) has asked government to withdraw Ugandan troops from foreign countries to come back and defend home against terrorism.

Ismail Kiirya, the president of Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) advised at a press briefing on Tuesday that government ought revise the deployment of forces in other countries and prioritize the peace, safety and security of Ugandans.

“It’s high time to withdraw all our armed forces from outside the country if it means to protect the Ugandans. The army which is in Somalia, I think we need it at the border of Kasese so that we can really get the real security,” Kiirya said “And the army which is in Congo, what is it doing there when the people they went to fight are now coming to attack us?”

The suggestions follow days after Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels attacked and killed 37 students of Lhubiriha Secondary School, school guard and four other residents in Mpondwe, Kasese district on June 16. The rebels also abducted about six students from the school.

Kiirya charges that the attack defines the loopholes in Ugandan security intelligence yet defense is allocated a lion’s share of the country’s budget, he blames the attack on negligence of some security officers who sleep on their jobs.

“It is absurd that 20 people and more can organize to attack Uganda and security is not aware. This is a very big question and we are asking ourselves whether really security didn’t know about this?” Kirya wondered.

Kiirya added that Ugandan security is now becoming a fire brigade than being a fire prevention department.

“What we are seeing in Kasese right now is the sort of armed vehicles and the soldiers, many security operatives around the boarder is a picture which would have been seen before this incidence”, he suggested wondering  why security always swings into action after tragedy has already happened.

The young democrats demand that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni tries to sort out his security in order to have a peaceful and secure country for all citizens as well as giving explanations on the attack.

“We strongly condemn the act and call upon the government to offer solutions to all the insecurities in Uganda today,” he said.