Ugandan Parliament has unanimously approved the deployment of the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF) in Somalia under the Africa Union peace-keeping mission.

A total of 155 MPs voted on Tuesday to support the mission to send some 1,400 peacekeepers to Somalia in the absence of opposition MPs, who has boycotted the parliament sections over detained rebel suspects of the People's Redemption Army.

MPs were informed that Maj. Gen. Levi Karuhanga of the UPDF has been appointed to head the African Union force (AMISOM).

Karuhanga, the Commander of the 1st Division in Kakiri, central Uganda, used to command Uganda's contingent of peacekeeping force to Liberia from 1994 to 1996.

Presenting a report on the troop deployment, Rose Namayanga, MP of Nakaseke and chairperson of defense and internal affairs committee recommended the deployment, noting their concerns had been adequately addressed.

The concerns included the legal framework and the duration of the mission, as well as the welfare of the soldiers and the number of troops.

Other issues looked into were resources, the nature of the operation, command and control, the legitimacy of the Somalia Transition Government and other contributing countries.

"This is a pivot point for Uganda to make good on the commitment to Pan-Africanism. It is a pivot point for Uganda to heed to the international call and to prove its dependability," Namayanga was quoted by New Vision on Wednesday as saying.

She said the mission was aimed at creating an environment where political actors in Somalia can resolve their differences.

The UPDF contingent of two battalions will form part of nine battalions of 8,500 troops to be contributed by Burundi, Malawi, Ghana and Nigeria. Algeria and Egypt will provide logistical support.

In the six months of deployment, the troops will be tasked to secure grounds of strategic importance, promote cessation of hostilities, enhance trust among all the parties, and set ground for post-conflict reconstruction and development.

"This will be active peacekeeping. The force will be neutral but with capacity to respond in self-defense in case of provocation," the report stated, adding that "the protection of the force has been ensured. Should the situation change, Uganda's involvement will be reviewed."

The force has undergone two years of military training, including learning about basic aspects of Somali culture and language. Somali Warlords, the report said, had been involved in drawing the deployment plan.

Janet Museveni, wife of President Yoweri Museveni and MP of Ruhaama, urged legislators to sensitize the public on the deployment. "Africa should prove it can support its own cause and Uganda should stand to be counted among those answering the call in Somalia," she said.

Ali Mohamed Gedi, the Somali Prime Minister, said on Tuesday at Nairobi, Kenya, that a proposed African Union peacekeeping force would help the government in its disarmament drive and train its forces as it struggles to restore stability.

Somali government forces, backed by Ethiopian troops, routed the Islamists last December who had controlled much of the south. But since then, almost daily attacks have rocked the capital with many civilian victims.

Gedi said his government will continue pursuing the Islamists it ousted and bring them to justice as Western nations have pushed the government to engage in dialogue with all Somali parties, including moderate Islamists and the powerful clans.

The UN Security Council considered a British-drafted resolution on Monday to authorize the AU mission the government wants deployed as soon as possible.

The Islamists have warned foreign troops not to set foot on Somali land, threatening to attack all peacekeepers. But President Museveni said that no amount of pressure or threats from the ousted Islamist hard-liners would stop the deployment of Ugandan troops.

Source: Xinhua