By Online Team

29^th Oct 2012:

The government of Uganda threatened last week to pull out of ongoing international peacekeeping and security operations in Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Central African Republic.

Speaking to the BBC’s Newsday Programme last week, Minister Asuman Kiyingi said Uganda feels that it has been “stabbed in the back” by the UN report which accused Uganda and Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The report by a UN panel of experts last week said Rwanda and Uganda were both supplying weapons to the M23 rebels, whose insurrection has forced some 500,000 from their homes since April – charges both countries denied.

Kiyingi said Uganda could now suspend its involvement in Somalia, where it supplies the largest number of troops to the African Union mission.  The AU has helped government forces gain ground against Islamist militants.

“…We are reviewing our engagement in Somalia until these malicious allegations are withdrawn and the international community at the UN assure the people of Uganda that the sacrifices they are making are appreciated and recognised instead of being stabbed in the back the way that report did,” Kiyingi told the BBC.

He also said Uganda was reviewing the presence of its troops in the UN’s peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic.  END.  Login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories mid-week for our updates

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