Uganda: There Are Human Losses Among Our Forces Due to an Attack in Somalia

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni clarified late Saturday that "there are human losses resulting from an attack launched by the Somali militant group Al-Shabab on a military base housing Ugandan peacekeeping forces in the country located in the Horn of Africa on Friday." In a statement, he expressed condolences to the country and the families of the deceased, adding, "the army has formed a committee to investigate what happened." Museveni noted that during the attack, "some soldiers did not perform as expected, as they panicked, leading to confusion, which Al-Shabab exploited to breach the base and destroy some equipment." He indicated that "the number of attackers was about 800 and that during the assault, Ugandan forces were forced to withdraw to a nearby base approximately nine kilometers away." Museveni did not specify the number of soldiers killed or injured, but this marks the first official acknowledgment of human losses in the attack among Ugandan forces participating in the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia. Al-Shabab has been fighting since 2006 to overthrow the Western-backed Somali government and impose a regime based on its strict interpretation of Islamic law.