Armed Forces Minister Mark Lancaster recently visited Uganda, and pledged that the UK will continue to support the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
The UK’s presence in East Africa is intended to help build the capacity of national military forces, and particularly to help them counter terrorism, the illegal wildlife trade, human rights violations, and developing humanitarian crises.
“We share their [Uganda’s] desire for peace in the region and are looking at ways we can provide further assistance to this cause”
Mark Lancaster
During the visit, Mr Lancaster met with the President of Uganda.
Throughout the region, the British Army supports the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union under the authority of the UN.
In May this year, Gavin Williamson announced British Army personnel would deploy to Malawi to counter the elephant and rhino poaching operation.
24 troops from a variety of of British Army units are in the area supporting the Malawian Rangers.
https://twitter.com/WelshGuards/status/1018450199537246208
It’s pretty rare now a days to see british troops in the blue caps of the UN, a sight that was very common in the early blair era.
Are we working with regimes like Uganda now?
Is this a build up in East Africa?
Maybe Gavin Williamson can use these kinds of missions to argue they should be covered by foreign aid money (as well as the RFA in the Caribbean).
Is training vulnerable countries security forces in humanitarian aid operations and environmental protection not the kind foreign aid that the worlds foremost soft power should be giving?
There was already talk of this by the minster responsible for overseas aid, can’t remember the name.
I assume this will be part of the new mini SDSR, with some costs being moved out of the core budget as a way to reduce the cuts slightly.
‘Near peer’, is that meant to mean nearly as good as?