BY ZALIMON BASIGHALHA (GOOD LUCK) & ISAAC MUMBERE
A total of 529 Local Defense Unit (LDU) personnel from Bunyangabu and Kamwenge districts yesterday graduated after completing a military training for six weeks at Hima Training School.
This follows a directive that President Museveni issued to the leadership of UPDF at the end of last year calling for reactivation of the services of LDUs within the districts around Kibaale National Park after consistent attacks by suspected ADF remnants of innocent civilians.
However, the President said the recruitment would be done in phases with Bunyangabu and Kamwenge as the first priority while Kasese and Kitagwenda were selected to benefit from the second phase.
Officiating at the pass out exercise, Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, asked the recruits to properly utilize government weapons to fight the enemy.
He also asked them to cooperate with the community members, UPDF and other security organs to strengthen security through fighting against terrorists (ADF).
Major General James Birungi from the Chief of Military Intelligence (CMI) appealed to the recruits to observe discipline, describing it as instrumental and mandatory in the forces if they want to serve longer.
Lt. Col. Frank Kawelu, the Commandant of Hima Training School, told the Minister that the graduating class had acquired various skills including drilling, skill at arms, tactics, field craft and physical training among others.
In his remarks, the Kasese District Chairperson, Mr. Eliphaz Muhindi Bukombi, requested government to speed up the recruitment process of LDUs in Kasese, a district he said is more vulnerable to ADF attacks since it neighbours with the DRC.
ENDS