Uganda, UN, France Ink Deal to Train Military Drone Pilots
Uganda, France and the United Nations entered into a deal to train UN peacekeepers on flying drones to gather intelligence and other related activities.
Uganda’s Permanent to the UN Adonia Ayebare, who announced the deal on Tuesday, said the peacekeepers will be trained at the UN Academy for Peace Operations, which is based in Entebbe.
“The training will involve the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in UN peacekeeping Operations missions and will be directly supported by UPDF and CAA,” the ambassador said, following the signing of the deal at the 76th UN General Assembly.
“We look to further cooperation with the UN Under Secretary General for the Department of Operational Support and French Government on the use of digital technology in peacekeeping operations.”
The Academy, which was established in 2015, is part of the UN Regional Service Centre in Entebbe.
The training center represents a commitment by member states to work as one, fostering operational consistency amid the diversity of national forces that come together under the UN flag to foster peace in the world.
President Museveni on September 2 met a group of envoys and representatives from the United Nations Security Council who had come to consult him at State House Entebbe.
The Council is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and approving any changes to the UN Charter.
It also has powers to establish peacekeeping operations, enact international sanctions, and authorize military action.
On Sept. 8, the United Nations through its Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia praised President Yoweri Museveni for “the great work undertaken… to address multiple peace, security and development challenges in the region.”
The organization recently rolled out the revitalized Strategy and Plan of Action towards Peace, Security and Development of the Great Lakes Region.
The strategy, which will operate from 2021-2023 – focuses on three pillars, namely: peace, security and justice; sustainable development and shared prosperity; resilience to longstanding and emerging challenges, for instance, prevention of violent extremism and durable solutions to protracted forced displacement.
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