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HEADLINE:
Ugandan troops to earn five times more in
Somalia |
February 2,
2007
Excerpt from
report by Grace Matsiko and Andrew Bagala
entitled "Somalia-bound UPDF men to earn 5
times their wages" published by Ugandan
newspaper Daily Monitor website on 2
February
Ugandan soldiers who have been lined up for
a peacekeeping mission in Somalia will earn
five times their wages here, the army
announced yesterday.
African peacekeepers, including a battalion
from Uganda, are expected in Somalia this
month to help pacify the Horn of Africa
nation which is fighting against Islamist
hard-liners.
Speaking at the launch of the Armed Forces
Week at the Media Centre yesterday, the UPDF
[Uganda People's Defence Forces] Chief
Political Commissar Francis Okello said;
"Each soldier will get 400 US dollars
(720,000 shillings), then 100 US dollars
will go to government."
Although momentum seems to be gathering on
the continent for the Somalia mission, with
about 4,000 troops mobilized so far at the
just ended African Summit in Ethiopia, the
ousted Islamists have vowed to fight the
peacekeepers.
The troops are due to replace the
withdrawing Ethiopian forces that
spearheaded the ouster of the Islamists.
While in Somalia, Brig Okello said the
soldiers will be entitled to free medicare,
food, clothing, accommodation and
compensation in the event of death.
On average, a Ugandan army private earns
143,000 shillings, a captain (426,000
shillings), a major (626,000 shillings)
while a major-general is paid 1,170,000
shillings. Irrespective of rank, all Ugandan
peacekeepers will earn 400 US dollars
monthly in allowances.
Their pay cheques back here will be passed
to their families, the army announced at the
launch of the Armed Forces Week by the Chief
of Defence Forces Gen Aronda Nyakairima.
The event is held annually in commemoration
of the 6 February 1981 when President
Museveni's National Resistance Army (NRA)
attacked Kabamba Military Barracks in
Mubende District. The attack kicked off the
five-year armed struggle that ousted the
late Dr Milton Obote II's government.
This year's main event will be at Kabamba
Military Barracks where a monument will be
unveiled. Gen Aronda said one of the names
inscribed on the monument include that of
Rwanda's President Maj-Gen Paul Kagame who
is being recognized for his participation in
the attack. [Passage omitted]
--Source: Daily Monitor website, Kampala, in
English 2 Feb 07 |
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