The new Force Commander for the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma from Uganda, arrived in Mogadishu yesterday to assume his duties.
Lt. Gen. Kavuma takes over from Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, who left the mission in April following his appointment as Deputy Chief of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
On arrival on Sunday, Lt. Gen. Kavuma was officially welcomed with a guard of honour at the ATMIS Force Headquarters, mounted by the ATMIS Uganda contingent.
He then met with the Head of ATMIS Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef and the Senior leadership team at the Mission Headquarters.
Later, he received a briefing from senior ATMIS military officers led by the Deputy Force Commander in charge of Support and Logistics, Maj. Gen. Peter Muteti. During the meeting, he was briefed on the security situation in Somalia and the progress made in implementing the mission mandate.
“The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and international partners have worked collaboratively towards the progress we see today. The achievements made so far are remarkable, and we will continue to support the FGS to ensure Al-Shabaab is degraded, peace prevails, and the Somalis can engage in the development of their country without fear,” said Lt. Gen. Kavuma.
Lt. Gen. Kavuma joined the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in the early 1980s and has held several senior positions leading up to his appointment as ATMIS Force Commander.
At different times in his military career, he has served as Division Commander, Deputy Air Force Commander, and Deputy Commander Land Forces in Uganda.
Prior to his appointment, he was a Parliamentarian representing the military in Uganda’s Parliament and Deputy Chief Coordinator of Uganda’s national wealth-creation programme.
Lt. Gen. Kavuma has extensive experience in peacekeeping operations, having served as commander of the Uganda contingent of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) from October 2014 to November 2016.
He also served in the Central African Republic as commander of the African Union-authorised Regional Taskforce deployed to hunt down the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency group.
Previously, he oversaw operations in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.
He has completed several professional training programmes, including military courses. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Diplomacy. He has recently completed a Master’s in National Security Studies at Cavendish University in Uganda. He is a committed lecturer who has contributed significantly to military education by teaching in various military colleges and training schools throughout his career.
