Belgian and French Army Instructors Train Ugandan Soldiers for AU Mission in Somalia

Ugandan soldiers are undergoing comprehensive training at the Singo army training school in Luwero, led by Belgian and French army instructors. The training aims to equip the soldiers with skills to be deployed in Mogadishu, Somalia, as part of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission, AMISOM. The training covers various aspects, including convoy escorting, land mine sweeping, and self-defense. The instructors, numbering 37, come from France and Belgium, with the Belgian government providing support to the French instructors.

Key Takeaways:

• The training is being conducted by 35 French and 2 Belgian instructors for 1,600 Ugandan soldiers.
• The training includes skills in convoy escorting, land mine sweeping, detection of explosives, cordon and search operations, check point monitoring, and self-defense.
• The Ugandan soldiers will be deployed in Mogadishu, Somalia, as part of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission, AMISOM, in May 2010.
• The training is part of a broader agreement between Uganda and France, with Belgium providing support.
• The skills acquired by the Ugandan soldiers will be useful for them in future peacekeeping operations under the AU or UN.
• American army instructors will take over the training from February 15.

Statistics:

• 1,600 Ugandan soldiers are being trained by the Belgian and French instructors.
• The training will last for five weeks.
• 37 instructors are involved in the training, comprising 35 French and 2 Belgian instructors.
• The Ugandan soldiers will be deployed in Mogadishu, Somalia, in May 2010.
• The training includes skills in first aid during combat, evacuation of victims, and short-distance shooting range.
• The Belgian government is providing support to the French instructors, in particular, in land mine clearing.

Sources:

• New Vision/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX
• [No additional sources were mentioned in the original text.]