The UPDF Deputy Chief of Military Intelligence, Brig Gen Abdul Rugumayo, has today reminded participants at the ongoing 12th EAC Armed Forces Field Training Pre–Exercise Clinic at Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Center, that terrorism remains a major threat to the security of all the EAC Partner States.
“Terrorism is making the world less safe,” Brig Gen Rugumayo told a combination of military, police, prisons and key civilian components from the EAC partner states.
He noted that failure to understand each other has led to the radicalization of some people hence leading them to commit terrorist acts.
He gave the example of terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, Al – Shabaab and ADF, all of which begin with violence and later turn into something else like illegal immigrants, insecurity at border points, and unemployment due to government heavy expenditure on combating terrorism as opposed to investing in infrastructure projects.
The Deputy CMI also noted that terror acts create insecurity, fear and uncertainty, leading to mass displacement and loss of property and lives, among others.
Brig Rugumayo, however, emphasized that there’s a need to prevent, protect, disrupt and pursue all channels that propel terrorism.
He said this can be cautioned through joint operations like Operation Shujaa, being by UPDF and FARDC, creating regional mechanisms like IGAD, ICGLR and EAC and sharing intelligence information.