Uganda has played a positive security and economic role at home and in Africa. Such covers President Museveni having hosted chiefs of national armies, technical working groups through the years.
Another is hosting Second Extraordinary Summit of Troop-Contributing Countries (TCCs) to African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), in Kampala, on July 31.
President Museveni stressed being in Somalia as a strategic and principled action, to deal with extremism and terrorism, plus standing with African brothers and sisters when faced with danger.
Experience from Uganda, sampling from dawn of independence in 1962 through a failed State until 1986, Somalia has faced similar political mishaps stemming from ideological confusion. Abdirashid Shermarke became Somali President in 1967 but was assassinated on October 15, 1969. President Sheikh Mukhtar Hussein served for a week (October 15- 21, 1969).
He was dethroned on the 21st by Mohamed Siad Barre through a coup d’état, becoming President until January 26, 1991.
Barre fled the country in a military tank at the height of Somalia civil war, which also involved Somali military commander Mohamed Farrah Aidid, plus his domestic cronies and external forces.
Aidid became part of those who opposed the UN forces and other foreign forces deployed on ground. By 1994, these forces had run away, abandoning stateless Somalia, surrendered to rival tribal and religious factions.
Extremist and terrorist local militias expanded: Al-shabaab, Islamic State in Somalia (ISS), Sunna Wal Jama’a, the Dervish Force, Macawiisleey and others. This gravitated secession ideas and attendant mischief, rather than one united Somalia. The social, political and economic ruins germinated on earlier assassinations, coup d’état and warlords, say from 1990s into 2000s. These had an adverse cascading implication on global maritime businesses and economic outlay in East African and African Horn regions.
Out of Pan-Africanism, strategy and principle to bring Somalia and regions back to order, African leaders like President Museveni led the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and became the first to deploy in Somalia (March 6, 2007). Others have since followed: Burundi (2007), Sierra Leone (2013), Djibouti (2011), Kenya (2011), Ethiopia (2014), Egypt (2024) and others like USA armies.
Deployments in Somalia have been under AU missions: African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) , African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), current AUSSOM, then auxiliary bilateral troop arrangements. Meanwhile, extremist and terrorist groups have engaged in killing people and other atrocities, for instance, 2010 Fifa World Cup suicide bombings in Kampala, cross-border raids and Garissa attacks (2015) in Kenya, and ISIS attacks in Mtwara region- Tanzania.
Even so, African visionary leaders, have so far registered success in restoring Somalia central Government with series of elected presidents, Somalia National Army, ministries, the police, migration and other State infrastructure. As such, Somalia’s nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has moved from about $5.43b (Shs19.6 trillion in 2007), to $8.628b (Shs32 trillion in 2020), $14.17b (Shs52.5 trillion in 2026) and soon $20b (Shs74.1 trillion) in 2030).
So for President Museveni to host TCCs under the AUSSOM in Kampala in July, was to precisely consolidate the gains in Somalia, global maritime, Eastern and African Horn. Similarly, the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) mandate from 2010, winds up in December. First ever Presidential elections in South Sudan are due December 22.
Political and security stability in Somalia (elections due December 31), DRC or South Sudan have big domestic, regional and global implication.
May I appeal to President Museveni to continue providing leadership under East Africa Community (EAC), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), AU and the UPDF, for peaceful transitions in these countries. Africa must find a place for ideological clarity, GDP growth and resources to counter terrorism.