Uganda, Tanzania Discuss Strengthening Defence Ties
The Minister of State for Defence and Veteran Affairs in charge of General Duties Jacob Oboth-Oboth on Thursday met the Tanzania Minister of Defense and National Service Dr. Stergomena at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MoDVA) Headquarters in Mbuya, Kampala.
Oboth and Dr. Stergomena, who is the first female Defence Minister of Tanzania -- committed to continued collaboration for the realization of mutual defence interests between Uganda and Tanzania whose relationship dates back to 1979.
"We have had and enjoyed a cardinal relationship for many years and it's our prayer that we continue that way," Oboth-Oboth remarked.
Dr. Stergomena said that whatever Tanzania has achieved is a result of its good relations with Uganda. " Whatever we have achieved, we have achieved it together," she said.
The UPDF Joint Chief of Staff Maj Gen Leopold Kyanda, on behalf of the Chief of Defence Forces Gen Wilson Mbadi, expressed UPDF's gratitude to the Tanzanian government for all the sacrifice, military training and assistance that Tanzania has accorded to the Ugandan defence forces since 1979.
He pointed out that before 1979, the Uganda army parade was based more on British standards but later got influenced by Tanzanian army instructors who conducted most of the trainings for the Ugandan army.
He further observed that Ugandans knowledge of Swahili is much improved by the peoples' relationship with Tanzanians since 1979.
"We look forward to stronger relationships between our sister countries," Maj Gen Kyanda noted.
The meeting was attended by the State Minister of Defence in charge of Veteran Affairs Huda Oleru, MoDVA Under Secretary in charge of Finance and Administration Edith Buturo, MoDVA Under Secretary in charge of Air Forces James Mutabazi and Col Hamza Naulid Burah, the Defence Advisor at the Tanzanian High commission in Uganda, among others.
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