The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Jinja, Uganda | Xinhua | More than 500 military personnel from Uganda and the Central African Republic (CAR) on Friday completed a five-month joint training program in the eastern Ugandan city of Jinja, the Ugandan military said in a statement.
According to the statement, a total of 378 soldiers, including 78 from the CAR, completed the senior non-commissioned officers (NCO) course, while 179 personnel undertook the instructors course level III. The training was conducted at the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) Non-Commissioned Officers Academy in Gaddafi Barracks.
The program is part of a 2024 bilateral agreement aimed at professionalizing the CAR’s armed forces and building their operational capacity to combat insecurity and promote peace and regional stability, the statement said.
Wycliffe Keita, UPDF joint chief of staff for training and doctrine, who presided over a graduation ceremony, urged the CAR graduates to apply their new skills in service to their country.
“This joint training with the CAR is a continuation of our collaboration that strengthens peace and security in the region while advancing the pan-African spirit,” said Keita.
He noted that Uganda maintains a strategic defense partnership with the CAR, particularly in efforts to combat the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group.
Michael Ssozi Ssesanga, commandant of the NCO Academy, hailed the courses as fundamental to military development.
“These are foundational leadership courses for junior cadres who form the backbone of the army,” Ssesanga said.
The CAR’s Silver Boka Lawade was recognized as the best allied student, while Uganda’s Gideon Niwagaba received top honors in the senior non-commissioned officers course. ■
