UGANDA: Security tight in Uganda as president says he will not withdraw from Somalia despite al-Shabaab threats

Record ID: 361305

  • Title: UGANDA: Security tight in Uganda as president says he will not withdraw from Somalia despite al-Shabaab threats
  • Date: 23rd December 2010
  • Summary: KAMPALA, UGANDA (DECEMBER 22, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SECURITY CHECKING CARS BEFORE THEY ENTER SHOPPING MALL AREA SINGO, UGANDA (DECEMBER 21, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NEWLY GRADUATED UGANDA PEOPLE'S DEFENCE FORCE (UPDF) SOLDIERS TRAINING PRESIDENT OF UGANDA, YOWERI MUSEVENI, INSPECTING TROOPS THOUSANDS OF NEWLY TRAINED UPDF SOLDIERS PARADING MUSEVENI INSPECTING
  • Embargoed: 7th January 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Uganda, Uganda
  • Country: Uganda
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVACEU6HIYZ0I9847ENEQE9OEEYO
  • Story Text: There was tight security in the Ugandan capital of Kampala on Wednesday (December 22), after threats by Somali rebel group al-Shabaab to carry out attacks on the East African country's soil during the festive season.
    Despite the threats, on Tuesday (December 21) Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni vowed not to withdraw his country's troops from Somalia.
    "We are not capitulationists. There are groups which are captulationists, which like to surrender to wrong ideas, wrong groups, we are not part of that group. So therefore our answer to al-Shabaab is vigilance," Museveni said, on a day when he watched thousands of newly trained Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) soldiers parade before him.
    Uganda currently has 7000 troops deployed in Somalia, making it the bulk of the African Union's (AU) force in the country.
    The President's announcement also came in response to a grenade explosion on Monday (December 20) on a bus bound for Uganda from Kenya, in which three died including the assailant. An investigation by Kenyan police revealed that the grenade was intended to be detonated in Kampala, yet accidentally exploded while still in Nairobi.
    "You see, they thought if they come and plant a bomb here, we will capitulate, we will abandon the Somalis," Museveni said.
    "This incident in Nairobi has proven that message, that with a little bit of vigilance we can defeat those terrorists," he added.
    Ugandan security agencies had already said they were on high alert for strikes by insurgents after twin suicide bombings in Kampala on July 11, which killed 79 people watching the World Cup final on television.
    On Tuesday, Uganda's police Inspector General Kale Kayihura issued a warning to Ugandan citizens to be cautious.
    "I am calling upon the public to avoid public places which are not secure," he said.
    But Ugandan shoppers gearing up for the festive season seemed undeterred, despite the extra visible security. At one shopping centre, police were inspecting people's bags and cars as they shopped.
    "I think these fears are there but the police is on the alert," said one shopper, Baker Mambuya.
    "I came driving in my car and there is checking, basically people should just be vigilant and we should be police to each other. And I don't think anything will happen," he added.
    Another shopper, Yasin Bagiya agreed.
    "The assurances of the police of Uganda and the way people are talking about it, it has been good and they have been empowering people to avoid places which have problems. ...I feel comfortable going to those places but with caution," he said.
    Al-Shabaab said after the Kampala bombings in July it had hit out at Uganda for having its troops in Mogadishu as part of African Union's (AU) peace force AMISOM, which also comprises troops from Burundi.
    AU commission chairman Jean Ping reiterated the group's resolve to combat terrorism among its member states.
    Kayihura said Ugandan police were stepping up security at border points with Kenya and Sudan
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