Uganda is on alert of terror threat because of its stand against terrorism and participation in the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, local media reported on Thursday.
The coordinator of Uganda's intelligence services, Gen. David Tinyefuza, was quoted by the state-owned New Vision daily as saying that the intelligence organs were on alert against any form of terrorist activities.
"Although Uganda is safe from any form of insecurity, we still face a terrorism threat because of our stand on some terrorist organizations. Our security services are on alert and even stronger in terms of capacity to handle any form of threats," he said.
Speaking about the security situation for 2009, Tinyefuza is optimistic, noting all insurgent groups had been contained.
"The LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) or the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) no longer have any capacity to destabilize any part of our country. The security agencies are now more professional and will work harder to make sure that Uganda remains safe," he stated.
In October 2007, the police issued a countrywide terror alert, warning of imminent attacks by groups connected to Osama Bin Laden' s Al-Qaeda network.
In August, Kenyan security authorities alerted Tanzanian authorities over Al-Qaeda's East Africa linkman and suspected mastermind of the 1998 bombings, Fazul Abdul Mohammed.
Following the development, Uganda in December said it had beefed up its security following Kenyan media reports that Fazul was planning to strike on Uganda as a punishment for taking part in the mission in Somalia.
In November 2007, Ugandan security authorities arrested two South African Islamic clerics on suspicion of terrorism. The suspects were deported.
Tinyefuza, however, said there was no likely security lapse because the political programs are running properly.
"Ordinarily one would expect security problems if the political programs are not being implemented, but politically, the country is doing well," he said.
He encouraged investors to come to Uganda, saying their investments would be safe.
Source: Xinhua
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