Lt Gen Bakasumba Hails Growing Defence Cooperation Between Uganda And Mali

The Chief of Joint Staff of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), Lieutenant General Jack Bakasumba, has commended the growing defence cooperation between Uganda and Mali, calling for closer military cooperation between the two countries.

Lt Gen Bakasumba made the remarks on behalf of the Chief of Defence Forces while hosting a delegation from the Mali War College (École de Guerre du Mali) at the Defence Intelligence and Security Headquarters in Mbuya. The visiting team comprised 27 course participants and eight faculty members.

Highlighting the longstanding ties between the two nations, Lt Gen Bakasumba said Uganda and Mali have maintained a strong defence partnership under a memorandum of understanding on military training.

“Our relationship with Mali is very good. We have a memorandum of understanding, and so far we have trained 58 Malian officer cadets,” he said.

Lt Gen Bakasumba observed that the UPDF has developed into a professional force comprising the Land Force, Air Force, Special Force Command, and the Reserve Force, supported by a comprehensive military training system.

“We have built capacity in training, and we are conducting courses from basic military training up to the National Defence College,” he said.

On regional security, Lt Gen Bakasumba said the UPDF has distinguished itself in several operations across the region, attributing its success to the political commitment of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who has consistently championed African-led solutions to the continent’s security challenges.

“We were the first country to deploy troops to Somalia even though we do not share a border with the country. We cannot sit back and wait for others to come and help us when we have the capacity to address our own challenges,” he said.

Lt Gen Bakasumba thanked the Malian delegation for selecting Uganda as one of the destinations for its study tour, describing the visit as a testament to the strong bilateral relations between the two countries.

Speaking on behalf of the visiting delegation, Brigadier General Mousa Yoro Kante thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his continued support towards strengthening the capacity of the Malian Armed Forces through military training.

“We thank His Excellency for the support he is offering to these young officers, and I am confident that this study tour will reinforce the cooperation between our two countries even further,” Brig Gen Kante said.

He also announced that Mali has offered the UPDF 23 training slots, including one at the Mali War College (École de Guerre du Mali).

Present were Generals and Senior Officers of the UPDF.