Museveni to set up new mountain warfare force

KAMPALA

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has said he will establish a new specialised mountain warfare force to secure all mountains in the country.

The President made the revelation on Friday in Kyanjuki Village in Kasese District at the foot of Mt Rwenzori, where he had gone to witness the training of a new Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) unit that will undertake the responsibility.

Mountain warfare is one of the most dangerous types of combat as it involves surviving not only the enemy but also the extreme weather and dangerous terrain.

President Museveni, however, explained that it is important to secure the country’s mountainous areas to promote tourism in the country.

“These places such as the Rwenzori Mountains are very beautiful and we should cherish them and make them safe. Even non-Ugandans love them; that’s why you see them coming here every day and visiting to see them and as a country, we earn from them,” Mr Museveni said.

NEW UNIT ROLES
The new army unit trained by French Alpine troops will also help combat violence in Kasese District that has so far killed about 50 people since February, in what has been described as ethnic clashes inflamed by a disputed election.

Addressing residents of Kyanjuki Village shortly after witnessing the exercise, the President, according to a State House statement, explained that the training of the UPDF in mountain warfare was prompted by the need to secure the Ugandan mountains for the neighbouring communities and for tourists.

Mr Museveni, who thanked the French government for its support, said although the UPDF was doing a good job securing the mountainous areas, it was important in the modern era for the army to have a specialised institute.

The French envoy to Uganda, Sophie Makame, said her government would partner with Uganda and support the training.

The UPDF is also expected to build a mountain warfare training institute, the first of its kind in the country.

According to the statement, the French lead instructor, Capt Pierrick Balanche, commended the UPDF for being a “reliable force”, adding that the trainees were good learners, disciplined and physically fit.