Museveni Blames Deadly Alshabaab Attack on Panicky Actions by UPDF Soldiers

Aftet dispatching a team led by the Commander Land Forces to establish the facts sorrounding the Friday morning attack on the UPDF base in Somalia, President Museveni has said some UPDF soldiers panicked and did not perform their duties correctly.

Gen Museveni who described the alshabaab attack as an unfortunate incident in Somalia where UPDF forces have operated successfully since 2007.

The President explained that in the area of Bulo-Mareer, where the attack happened, there was an FOB (Forward Operational Base) manned by a company of UPDF soldiers.

“Those defences are quite strong although they are guarded by light weapons,” he noted.

There were two tanks, two 14.5mm anti- air-craft guns and a 107mm Katyusha rocket launcher. Some of the soldiers there did not perform as expected and panicked, which disorganized them and the Al-Shabaab took advantage of that to overran the base and destroy some of the equipment, Mr Museveni noted in his Saturday evening statement.

The Commander in Chief said the panic was totally unnecessary “because, in fact, both the anti-tank ditch and our soldiers had destroyed the 3 vehicles of explosives outside the FOB. The suicide bombers or whatever, were forced to blow themselves up before they gained entry into the base.”

Moreover, our UAVs were watching the whole scenario from up in the sky and directing fire. The CDF has set up a Board of Inquiry (BOI) and the full facts will come out, including the details of the casualties, he added.

Commenting further on the panic, Mr Museveni saif many of the soldiers withdrew to the next FOB, nine kilometres away. The terrorists were many, about 800 or so according to the UAVs.

“Hence, it was a missed opportunity, to annihilate them. The operations are continuing and they will regret their actions”.

The President concluded his statement by reminding those concerned, that operations in Somalia and other theatres, are combat missions and not welfare missions ‘where you can access UN allowances.’

“It is criminal for anybody involved, to send into such a theatre soldiers who are either not suited for that mission or not properly prepared for it. Details will come out after the BOI has finished its work,” Gen Museveni noted.