Kampala (SDN)-A military court heard the case and sentencing of a Ugandan soldier accused of selling weapons to a local boy in Somalia during an AMISOM mission. The accused soldier pled guilty to the charge at a Ugandan military tribunal held in Mogadishu where the officer was sentenced to a year in prison and was discharged from the army.The soldier plans to appeal the sentence which he believes is severe.
Despite multiple accusations that AMISOM soldiers have been selling weapons and equipment to locals, leaders of the force continued to deny any such activity. This case is the first of its kind and will likely set a precedent.
The case tarnishes the AMISOM mission and western nations who have long since held the belief that the Somali army could not be trusted with weapons and military equipment and maintained an arms embargo on the nation while providing arms to AMISOM troops.
SDN-Kampala
