STORY: New UPDF Contingent Commander arrives in

Somalia
DURATION: 2:21
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NAT SOUND
DATELINE: 19/DECEMBER/2017, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, AMISOM officers present during the handover ceremony

2. Med shot, AMISOM officers present during the handover ceremony
3. Close up, Major General Peter Elwelu, UPDF Commander of Land Forces
4. Med shot, AMISOM officers present during the handover ceremony
5. Wide shot, AMISOM officers present during the handover ceremony
6. Med shot, AMISOM officers present during the handover ceremony
7. Close up, an AMISOM officer present during the handover ceremony
8. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) MAJOR GENERAL PETER ELWELU, UGANDA PEOPLES
DEFENCE FORCE (UPDF) COMMANDER OF LAND FORCES.
You need to focus on the Somali National Security Forces. It is only the Somalis
who can bring everlasting peace and stability to this country. Nobody else can
achieve that no matter how powerful you may be.

9. Wide shot, AMISOM officers present during the handover ceremony

10. Med shot, AMISOM officers present during the handover ceremony
11. Close up, Brigadier Paul Lokech, incoming UPDF Contingent Commander
12. Med shot, AMISOM officers present during the handover ceremony
13. Close up, an AMISOM officer present during the handover ceremony
14. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) MAJOR GENERAL PETER ELWELU, UGANDA PEOPLES
DEFENCE FORCE (UPDF) COMMANDER OF LAND FORCES.
As UPDF we have made our contribution. We have made extraordinary
sacrifices and surely to me we have accomplished our mission of creating an
enabling environment for the Somalis to liberate their own country. We need to
focus more on getting the Somalis to do their part. They need to lead the
process. You need to get them moving forward, for the situation now dictates
that the Somalis must lead the process.

15. Wide shot, the outgoing Contingent Commander, Brig. Kayanja Muhanga,
handing over the instruments of power to the incoming Contingent Commander

STORY.
New UPDF Contingent Commander arrives in Somalia

Mogadishu, 19 December 2017 - The incoming Contingent Commander of the

Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) serving under the African Union Mission in
Somalia (AMISOM), Brig Paul Lokech, took over office today at a ceremony held in
the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
Brigadier Lokech succeeds Brig Kayanja Muhanga, who has completed his tour of
duty, having served as Contingent Commander for the past one year.
The handover ceremony was witnessed by Maj Gen. Peter Elwelu, the UPDF
Commander of Land Forces. This will be Brig Lokechs second tour of duty in Somalia
having served in the same capacity in 2011/2012 period.
Speaking at the function attended by senior UPDF officers, Maj. Gen. Elwelu hailed
Brig. Muhanga and his team for a job well done and urged the incoming contingent
commander to focus on building the capacity of the Somali National Security Forces,
ahead of AMISOMs exit.
You need to focus on the Somali National Security Forces. It is only the Somalis who
can bring everlasting peace and stability to this country. Nobody else can achieve
that no matter how powerful you may be, Maj. Gen. Elwelu stated.
He added; As UPDF we have made our contribution. We have made extraordinary
sacrifices and we have accomplished our mission of creating an enabling
environment for the Somalis to liberate their own country.
Maj. Gen. Elwelu said it was time to help Somalis take the lead in the stabilization
process.
The process of handing over security responsibility to Somalias security forces has
commenced following a resolution by the United Nations Security Council to
downsize uniformed personnel serving under AMISOM to a maximum of 21,626 by
the end of this year.
Brig. Lokech has served as Ugandas Defence Attach to Russia and also as
Commander of the UPDF Second Division, a post he held until recently, when he was
appointed Contingent Commander for the second time.
In his first stint, Brig. Lokech commanded Battle Groups Eight and Nine, credited for
ejecting Al-Shabaab militants from Mogadishu in 2011.
Maj. Gen. Elwelu hailed the Somali population and international partners for their
support and reiterated UPDFs commitment to the Mission.

Ends.