Japan to Train Uganda Military on Operating Engineering Equipments

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Japan to Train Uganda Military on Operating Engineering Equipments

Japan is set to deploy members of its military to train Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) on the operating heavy engineering equipment in peacekeeping missions.

Uganda’s defence minister, Adolf Mwesige, stated that Japanese military will deploy 22 of its personnel next week, with the training to hold from August 26 to November 18 at the UPDF facility in Jinja district.

The minister said the training will be handled in batches and it will help improve the capabilities of the Ugandan army in international peace keeping missions. The training will be taken under the UN project for the rapid deployment of enabling capabilities

“Peacekeeping operations are complex activities. Sometimes we need to open up roads and we need all sorts of engineering equipment like bulldozers, caterpillars, excavators, and others. We need to boost our capacity in handling these machines,” the minister told journalists while addressing the press at Media Centre in Kampala on Friday.

He explained that the Japanese military will also offer medical training –a very key aspect of the peacekeeping missions.

“We are grateful to Japan for the non-lethal support extended to UPDF to strengthen its capabilities. We welcome the mobile engineering teams from Japan to build the engineering teams of UPDF,” Mwesige said.

The Japanese ambassador, Kazuaki Kameda, said as a preparation to the training, beginner and intermediate courses for the 35 UPDF personnel was conducted by Japan in Nairobi earlier in June.

“I have great pleasure to announce that the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force will come to Uganda for the first time ever to support the UPDF. The rapid deployment to peacekeeping missions is a particularly urgent challenge,” kameda stated.

He further said that Japan has earned credibility for its engineering operations and transport units, which are very essential in enabling smooth peacekeeping operations.

Kameda further highlighted that Japan has pumped in about $70m in training and procurement of heavy engineering equipment under UN peacekeeping missions since 2015.

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