President Museveni’s blue eyed boy who also doubles as Uganda’s representative to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) James Mutagubya Kakooza has revealed more details concerning the deployment of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces(UPDF) in South Sudan early this month.
He explained that this was done because of the secret agreement that President Museveni signed with his longtime friend Salver Kiir, the President of South Sudan agreeing to provide protection and make sure that his government is not overthrown by his enemies.
It was Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) who announced UPDF’s deployment through his X handle and a number of Members of Parliament protested the move which forced President Museveni to summon National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary caucus at State House Entebbe last week.
Abdul Byakatonda the worker’s MP confirmed that NRM legislators moved to State House for a meeting with the President while protesting and threatening to grill him along the way.
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Their reasoning was that it was not fair to deploy their relatives, husbands, wives, fathers and mothers without following the legal procedures of first informing parliament.
Byakatonda explained that the president studied the situation that his legislators were angry that is why he openly revealed to them that Uganda has a number of secret security agreements with South Sudan and it is the reason why they deployed UPDF there.
He pleaded with them to support the motion which senior Defence Minister Jacob Oboth Oboth was going to table before the floor of parliament which was done on Thursday this week.
Kakooza revealed that Uganda didn’t only sign a security agreement with Kiir alone but also with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi and it was the reason why when other regional forces were ordered to leave DRC, UPDF remained.
On the issue of South Sudan, Kakooza said that Museveni is very aware that if there is insecurity in that country, bad people can take advantage of the situation and destabilize Uganda as it was done during the fight between late John Garang who was commanding a rebel army fighting to form their own country the South Sudan and former Sudan President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir who wanted Sudan to remain united.
“During that time, Bashir decided to support Jamil Mukulu’s Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to fight President Museveni’s government. So, to see that it is not happening again the president has to protect the sitting government which is a very friendly government,” Kakooza said.
He confirmed that the commandos Uganda displayed on social media were an additional force since there were those already deployed on ground to make sure that President Kiir remains in control of his country.
He added that Museveni cannot sleep when South Sudan is destabilized because it is one of the largest markets for Ugandan goods.
He divulged that annually; Uganda collects more than Shs25bn and over two million Ugandans tap employment directly or indirectly from South Sudan that is why they need protection.
UPDF and South Sudan are fighting against White Army, a tribal Nuer armed militia which is claimed to be supported by South Sudan’s deputy president Dr Riek Machar.
It should be remembered that on several occasions, President Museveni has been saving President Kiir from being overthrown by his political opponents who accuse him of failing to organize a peaceful national election for the people of South Sudan to elect new leaders.
While briefing the contingent that were deployed to South Sudan under “Operation Mlinzi wa Kimya, which is under the command of Brig Gen Anthony Lukwago Mbuusi, the Commander Land Force of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga, called on troops to uphold discipline and professionalism.
Lt Gen Muhanga reminded the troops of their core mission: maintaining peace and security in the country.
Because of the ongoing fights in South Sudan and DRC, Uganda has tightened its security on both borders and within the country.
