The Ugandan military announced on Thursday that a court martial, temporarily sitting in Mogadishu, Somalia, has commenced the trial of two senior army officers accused of “cowardice” in the aftermath of the deadly attack on peacekeepers by the notorious militant group Al Shabaab in Somalia earlier this year.
The General Court Martial (GCM), presided over by Brigadier General Robert Mugabe, is currently in session to try Major Steven Oluka and Major Zadock Obor, both commanding officers of military bases in southwest Somalia.
The charges against them include two counts of cowardice following the Al Shabaab assault, which tragically resulted in the loss of 54 peacekeepers. The military’s official statement, released in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, confirmed these proceedings.
According to the statement, Majors Oluka and Obor allegedly failed to inspire and motivate the military officers and soldiers under their command to confront Al Shabaab bravely during the encounter on May 26. The court martial aims to establish the extent of their responsibility in the face of this grave security threat.
In addition to the two senior commanders, the trial also involves four non-commissioned officers who are being charged with a failure to protect war materials. This charge is in violation of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Act, as stated in the military’s official communique.
Traditionally conducted at Makindye, the military headquarters in the capital city of Kampala, the General Court Martial has made the unprecedented move of holding its sessions in Somalia for a period of two weeks.
Brigadier General Robert Mugabe, the presiding officer, emphasized the court martial’s jurisdiction.
“The General Court Martial has the authority to try cases anywhere in and outside Uganda where the UPDF is operating.” He further elaborated that at the conclusion of the sessions, appropriate sentences would be handed down to those found guilty, while those found not guilty would be acquitted. He stated.
The assault that led to the loss of the peacekeepers occurred when Al Shabaab militants overran a military base manned by a Ugandan contingent of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis) in Bulo Marer town, located approximately 120 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The Ugandan military, along with troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, and Ethiopia, is one of the key troops-contributing countries to the Atmis, which has been engaged in combating terrorism in Somalia.
