Senior police officer from Uganda found dead in Somali capital

[Deeq A.]

A Ugandan senior police officer attached to African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has been found dead under mysterious circumstances, officials said on Saturday.

Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Edward Bagonza was found dead at his residence in Mogadishu on Saturday, September 7, according to Police Director Peace Support Operations AIGP Grace Turyagumanawe.

In a brief statement released Saturday, September 7 night, AIGP Turyangumanawe, the confirmed the sudden death of AIP Bagonza, but gave no details.

“He was found dead at his residence in Mogadishu today [Saturday] morning,” he wrote, without giving details of the investigations.

He, however, noted that burial arrangements are being coordinated by AMISOM leadership.

Ugandan security forces in Somalia both Police and Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have previously lost their officers during attacks by the al-Shabaab militia in Somalia and other questionable circumstances.

In 2017, UPDF lost 12 soldiers in another al-Shabaab attack, which the terrorists claimed had more casualties than the official figures released by the government while, in December last years, UPDF lost four of its soldiers during an Easter holiday double attack by the al-shabaab.

UPDF spokesperson Brig Richard Karemire at the times the officers serving as part of the  Amisom were killed during a double attack on an Amisom military base in Buula Mareer and Golwen in Lower Shabelle region of Somalia.

Several militant groups still control parts of Somalia.

A contingent of 13 individual police officers (IPOS) was early this year flagged off for a peacekeeping mission in Somalia under the AMISOM.

Unlike the UPDF which operates both in both Mogadishu and the interior of Somalia, Uganda police officers operate only in Mogadishu as part of the airport security detail.

Uganda first deployed officers from the formed police unit in 2012 and the officers from the unit do patrols to ensure the maintenance of law and order.

Uganda Police officers also train Somali counterparts, contribute to public order management and also participate in search and cordon operations among others.

Uganda was the first country to deploy troops in Somalia under the AMISOM in 2007 in a mission which was described by many as ‘dead or arrival’ but UPDF turned around the situation of anarchy into one that would force other countries to deploy in the country.

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