Ugandan troops received training from their British counterparts in readiness for deployment to fight al Shabaab in Somalia. The Ugandan troops have received training both on land and on the water as a way to adeptly equip them with the necessary skills to both handle the terrorists and protect civilians in Somalia.
Members of 1 Assault Group Royal Marines have trained Ugandan soldiers to manage the ‘human’ element of conflict, ahead of their deployment to the UN Peacekeeping Operations in Somalia. During their deployment, marines from the Ugandan People’s Defense Force (UPDF), will protect the area and sea around Mogadishu airport in the Somali capital.
The al Qaida-linked al-Shabab controls vast swathes of rural areas in southern Somalia and has carried out multiple bombings and guerrilla attacks on targets including shopping centers and hotels across eastern Africa.
The training is such a necessary part of the preparation for the troops to be deployed to Somalia seeing as there is a wide myriad of factors to consider in the conflict-ridden country. Naval training is critical seeing as al Shabaab has in past exploited the ocean and fishermen to attack bases and hijack supplies. Also, the human element is the most delicate as troops under AMISOM and UN in Somalia have in the past received criticism for accidental civilian deaths and collateral damage and as such the training is geared at reducing such cases.
