3 Ugandan soldiers killed by fellow peacekeeper in Somalia's capital

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – A Ugandan soldier serving in an African Union (AU) mission shot dead three fellow Ugandan peacekeepers in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, officials said on Tuesday.

The shooter and victims were part of a peacekeeping force of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

The incident took place at the Ugandan contingent’s base at the Mogadishu International Adan Adde Airport, a senior Ugandan commander told Anadolu Agency, requesting anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The shooter, identified as Cpl. Simon Agaba, has been arrested, the official said.

The motive of the attack remains unclear, but the Ugandan military confirmed it has launched an investigation.

Local media reports identified the victims as Lance Cpl. Christopher Kigongo, Lance Cpl. Lord Charles Mangwi, and Pvt. Charles Akatwongyera.

Kigongo was shot in the chest, Mangwi in the head multiple times, and Akatwongyera was shot in the back while trying to run away, Isse Ahmed, a Somali police officer who was at the airport at the time of the incident, told Anadolu Agency.

Uganda is the largest contributor of personnel to the AU peacekeeping mission that has been in Somalia since 2007.

The incident is the first involving Ugandan security personnel in Somalia since May 2019, when a Ugandan soldier shot dead a colleague before killing himself in Mogadishu.​​​​​​​