Army veterans up in arms with UPDF over deployment

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Veteran soldiers are up in arms with the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) due to issues surrounding a deployment mission under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

ATMIS is a multidimensional mission (military, police and civilian), authorised by the African Union and mandated by the United Nations Security Council –  AU Peace and Security Council Communique for 1068th Meeting and UN Security Council Resolution 2628 (2022).

It replaces the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) with the mandate to fully implement the Somali Transition Plan (STP). ATMIS became operational on April 1, 2022.

The veterans allege that they underwent six months of training in 2023 at the Peace Support Operations Training Centre in Singo, Nakaseke district, with the understanding that they would be deployed to Somalia.

However, instead of being deployed, they were discharged with a one-time payment of sh300,000, leaving them in a difficult situation. They had abandoned their businesses and families in anticipation of the deployment.

As a result, 21 army veterans have petitioned the Government through the Attorney General, demanding sh10.9b in compensation for loss of earnings during the training period and the anticipated employment tenure. They have also petitioned the justice and constitutional affairs ministry.

They are demanding that the Government settle the compensation claim of sh10.9b, failure of which they will be compelled to seek legal redress through the courts.

Some of the veterans include; Arajabu Bumali Kipwapwa, Mariki Wakibi, Jimmy Opyem, Moses Njuba, Hadson Kwee, Amos Kongo, Hadijja Masika, Patrick Muhindi, Jackson Kamala, Moses Birungi, Swadic Taba, Charles Keddy Omoding and Ben Layugi.

The plaintiffs say they are patriotic veterans, who served in the UPDF during the liberation war and were discharged upon successful completion of their service. They demand that the government pay the money, or else they will drag it to the courts of law.

The individuals say they remained loyal to the UPDF service under the capacity of reservists and veterans, whose role enabled them to attend to their private lives, family and livelihood activities.

Documents seen by New Vision Online indicate that on February 15, 2023, the UPDF, through several publications in the media, called upon all able-bodied veterans for pre-mission training to form part of the Uganda Battle Groups XXXIX and XI to be deployed outside Uganda regarding African Union/African Transition Mission in Somalia (AU/ATMIS).

Upon advertising, the applicant had to satisfy certain requirements of having an original national identification card, and discharge certificate for 15 years and below and also underwent medical and physical screening to ascertain fitness.

This was conducted with the purpose of transporting the applicants to the Peace Support Operations Training Centre Singo in Nakaseke district.

According to the plaintiffs, they successfully went through the said process and in February 2023, they were transported to the Peace Support Operations Training Centre-Singo Nakaseke district for six months of training.

The plaintiffs say upon reaching the said training centre they were subjected to another screening and verification exercise which they passed and were selected to be deployed in the mission and, therefore, they embarked on the training.

“Those veterans who were found without basic requirements were dismissed immediately,” Kipwapwa stated.

The veterans say that to their dismay, on August 9, 2023, upon completion of the six months of training at the point of passing them out for the mission, they were instead handed letters discontinuing them from the said training on grounds of failure to meet the training standards which training had already been concluded.

The veterans argue that they dedicated their time, abandoned other economic activities and gainful employment, their families, other gainful commitments and endured the training which was very hard and rigorous, being subjected to domestic labour for over six months and some sustaining injuries because of the expectation to be deployed in the mission for one year and each expecting to earn at least an annual sum of sh26m.

However, they were each handed sh300,000 for transportation to their respective areas of residence and dismissed.

Complain

The individuals say they complained to the commander Peace Support Operations Training Centre-Singo and the Chief of Staff veteran affairs, but the same did not yield any results.

“When the Chief of Defence Forces arrived at Peace Support Operations Training Centre-Singo, he informed us that his role that day was to flag off the battle groups to the mission area but not to address any other matter, which denied us a chance to be heard concerning our grievances,” Kipwapwa lamented.

The individuals said they have suffered losses since they left their homes, families, farms and businesses expecting to benefit from the said UPDF programme which has not been the case.

They contend that due to the said decision, they have suffered losses, and mental anguish to which they hold the Government liable in compensation and damages for loss of legitimate expectation of a substantive benefit from the said UPDF programme.