Somali terrorists hit UPDF medical unit in Somalia

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

By Risdel Kasasira




The Defence and army spokesperson, Lt. Col Felix Kulayigye had earlier told Daily Monitor that the mortar missed the target and hit near the medical unit that serves at least 2,000 Somali patients every week.


Somali insurgents on Monday attacked the African Union Peace keeping Mission base in Halane, Mogadishu killing at least one person and injuring an unspecified number of mainly Somali patients who were receiving treatment at the Amisom clinic. It was not clear by press time whether the man killed was a peacekeeper or Somali civilian.


Amisom spokesperson Maj. Barigye Ba-Hoku said there was an explosion at the Outpatient department (OPD) but could not tell whether it was a motor attack or suicide bomber. "I have heard an explosion. A number of Somalis died in the OPD (outpatient department) of our base," Barigye was quoted by news agencies.


Uganda and Burundi contribute to the at least 5000 peacekeeping troops in Somalia. Uganda alone has at least 3200 soldiers serving in the war torn Horn of Africa country.



The base has always been targeted by the insurgents of the Al Shabaab. In September last year the insurgents attacked the base using two vehicles with United Nations insignia which they exploded inside the base killing at least 17 peacekeepers including the Burindian deputy head of mission. 11 of those killed were Burundian and the rest Ugandans.


The Defence and army spokesperson, Lt. Col Felix Kulayigye had earlier told Daily Monitor that the mortar missed the target and hit near the medical unit that serves at least 2,000 Somali patients every week.


“I’m aware that a mortar that was fired and hit near the medical unit,” Col. Kulayigye said.


However according to sources in Mogadishu who didn’t want to be quoted, one Ugandan soldier was killed and many Somali patients killed in the attack. The attack is the first assault on the African peacekeepers this year began.


But Kulayigye denied. “I’m not aware of any deaths of our soldier” he said.


The Ugandan peacekeepers’ medical unit is open to Somali patients on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.


But Maj. Barigye told Daily Monitor recently that Somali militants are against the offering of these medical services to Somalis. “They think treating these people makes us popular among the Somali community,” he said in an interview with Daily Monitor


Uganda and Burundi have deployed an estimated 5000 peacekeepers in Mogadishu to back the beleaguered government of president Sharif Ahmed Sharif.


However the Islamist fundamentalists have consistently attacked the peacekeepers whom they describe as occupational force.



Source: Daily Monitor