Uganda demands compensation for dead soldiers in Somalia

Kampala August 17, 2024(QJ)-General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Commander of the Uganda Defense Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, has demanded $100 billion in compensation from the United States for losses Uganda’s military has incurred in Somalia. He claimed that the U.S. heavily relied on Ugandan troops to achieve its goals in Somalia, particularly in the fight against Al-Shabaab.

In a series of posts on Twitter, Muhoozi argued that the U.S. owes this compensation to Uganda, highlighting that Uganda has taken on a significant responsibility in maintaining peace and combating terrorism in Somalia.

This demand comes at a time when relations between Uganda and the U.S. are deteriorating, especially after Washington imposed sanctions on Ugandan officials involved in the enforcement of the country’s anti-LGBT law.

In addition, the African Union’s special representative to Somalia, Mohamed El-Amine Souef, confirmed that the ATMIS mission has recorded nearly 4,000 fatalities, mostly among troops from Burundi and Uganda. This figure underscores the heavy toll the conflict in Somalia has taken on these forces. Hundreds of Ugandan soldiers have been killed in battles aimed at driving Al-Shabaab out of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.