KAMPALA | Xinhua | A total of 1,800 soldiers from the Central African Republic (CAR) have arrived in Uganda for military training as part of ongoing efforts to build the CAR army’s capacity, a Ugandan military spokesperson said Tuesday.
Maj. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, Uganda’s military spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone that the recruits will undergo intensive basic training and intelligence-gathering exercises over a period of nine to 12 months.
He said the training program is part of a 2024 bilateral agreement aimed at professionalizing the CAR’s armed forces and strengthening their ability to combat insecurity, promote peace and enhance regional stability.
“Yes, I can confirm the CAR troops are in the country. We are going to train CAR soldiers following the memorandum of understanding we signed with them last year,” Kulayigye said.
Uganda maintains a strategic defense partnership with the CAR, particularly in efforts to combat the Lord’s Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group that has long operated in the country.