President Yoweri Museveni has promoted Major General Sam Kavuma to the rank of Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) and appointed him as the commander of the African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), succeeding Lieutenant General Sam Okiding.
ATMIS, formerly known as the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISSOM), underwent a name change after several nations, including the US, China, France, Germany, and the UK, withdrew their funding.
Lt. Gen. Okiding assumed command of ATMIS on November 3, 2022, succeeding Burundian Lieutenant General Diomede Ndegeya, whose tenure had expired.
Despite initial plans for the withdrawal of AMISSOM forces from Somalia by the end of 2021, troops from Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, and Ethiopia remained due to concerns about the readiness of Somali security forces to counter threats, particularly from Al-Shabaab militants.
Last week, President Museveni appointed Lieutenant General Okiding as the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
According to Colonel Akiiki, the Deputy UPDF Spokesperson, Lieutenant General Okiding’s appointment as Deputy CDF necessitated his return from Somalia.
In his new role, Lieutenant General Okiding will serve as the Deputy to General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who now holds the position of Overall Army Commander.