By Denis Omony
A senior Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) soldier, Major Patrick Opiyo Awany, has been killed in an attack in Somalia, his family has confirmed. Opiyo who was killed in the attack on July 7, 2024, had served in the UPDF for over 10 years.
Opiyo who was attached to the African Union Mission in Somalia, a regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union, died on the spot after a front convoy vehicle he was in transporting food was hit by a landmine at around 11am.
The incident happened just about 100 kilometers away from the AMISOM headquarters, according to his elder brother, General Charles Otema Awany, the commander of the reserve force.
Brig. Felix Kulaigye, the UPDF spokesperson confirmed the report, adding that four other soldiers including two Ugandans and two Somalis were injured in the attack.
This comes a year after al-Shabab fighters stormed a base housing African Union peacekeepers in Somalia killing 54 Ugandan soldiers. The 54 dead included the base commander Lt Col Edward Nyororo.
Al-Shabab has been fighting since 2006 to replace Somalia’s Western-backed government with its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
