The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has deployed a separate contingent in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to serve under the East Africa Community Regional Force in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
While presiding over the flag off ceremony on Wednesday, March 29th, at Bunagana border in Kisoro District, the UPDF Commander Land Force, Lt.Gen. Kayanja Muhanga said their mandate is strictly to keep peace but not to fight M23 rebels.
He said the deployment marks one more chapter in the UPDF’s history of peacekeeping operations.
“Having pacified the country, UPDF now exports peace in other countries. We were in Liberia at one time, we are in Somalia, been to South Sudan, Central African Republic. We are also in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo fighting the Allied Democratic Forces terrorists which we are doing very well and fulfilling our objectives,” Lt Gen Muhanga said.
Lt.Gen. Muhanga emphasized that East African Community Regional Force is on a peacekeeping mission and is watching over the peace process in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“The EACRF is not going attack the belligerents there but it is going to witness and ensure the implementations of the decisions that were taken between the Heads of States meetings,” Lt Gen Muhanga added.
Colonel Michael Walaka Hyeroba, the UPDF Contingent Commander said that he is leading ambassadors of peace and tranquillity to help another African country that is under turmoil and assured the guests that the troops under his command are fully prepared to execute the mission.
“We are prepared, we have the train, we have gained the cohesion that is required of us and we are ready for the task that our country and the region has assigned to us,” Col Hyeroba noted.
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