UPDF soldier shoots dead 3 colleagues in Somalia
- Written by URN
Corporal Simon Agaba after the arrest
A Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier, Corporal Simon Agaba yesterday Monday went on a rampage and shot dead three colleagues in Mogadishu, Somalia.
According to the spokesperson of the UPDF contingent in Somalia, Capt George William Musinguzi, the incident happened at around 6 am when Agaba who was attached to the 23rd battalion and deployed to guard Aden Adde international airport, out of nowhere, shot a colleague dead and whoever tried to intervene was shot down.
The deceased have been identified as Lance Corporal Christopher Kigongo, Lance Corporal Lord Charles Mangwi and Private Charles Akatwongyera.
The first victim was shot in the chest whereas the second one who tried to peep to observe what had happened was shot three times in the head while the third soldier was shot in the back as he tried to run away.
“After the three shootings, the entire camp was now alert and a brave officer tip-toed and disarmed the shooter who didn’t resist,” said Musinguzi in a statement.
Reports say after being subdued, the suspect requested his fellow soldiers to finish him off after realizing he was now guilty of what he had earlier done. The colleagues however only arrested him and handed over to authorities for management.
“Investigations have commenced to establish the true cause of his actions but we suspect the soldier has been struggling with stress disorders. We commiserate with the families of the deceased,” said Musinguzi.
The last similar incident happened in 2019 when a UPDF captain killed himself after shooting a colleague dead in Somalia. Ugandan troops have been deployed in Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia since 2007 to fight the jihadist organisation of al Shabaab.
Comments
As the American gun lobby always says; the problems of the gun must be solved by the gun.
Well the Reports have said it all clearly that after being subdued by his fellow soldiers, the suspect, Simon Agaba, requested his fellow soldiers to finish him off after realizing that he was definitely guilty of what he had earlier done!
Under Museveni many Ugandan soldiers have lost their lives outside the country than in the country.
But it all zeros down to "the problem of Africa is; leaders refusing to leave power/off".
In other words, if we had had changes of leaders in the last 30 years, our men in uniform didn't have to perpetually be deployed to languish, anguish and freak out into slaughtering each other in the Somali wilderness.
But we are instead, stuck with a vain dictator and perpetual warmonger-life-president, who is simply promoting his personal egoistic agenda; disguised as Pan Africanism and/or regional security, in the name of fighting illusive Terrorists and settling Somali's bloody internal conflict.
I am sure it is haunting, heartbreaking to the parents, relatives and friends of Corporal Simon Agaba who see this tragic photo of event.
In other words, entrenched in perennial political and armed conflicts; when will Ugandans have peace in their hearts, at home with family members and feloow countrymen, women and children?