President Museveni holds bilateral talks with president Farmajo in Addis Ababa

Uganda’s President Museveni has held a couple of bilateral meetings with fellow regional leaders, their discussions being dominated by themes of security, integration and how to strengthen economic ties at the end of the 32nd Summit of African Union Heads of State.

In a meeting with Somalia’s President, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, Mr Museveni advised the former’s government to create a local loyal, voluntary military militia willing to protect and pacify the country, which gradually can grow into an affordable National Army in two years.

“You need to build a National Army as you involve key stakeholders and clan elders with an idea of voluntarism as a strategy,” said President Museveni,”

Mr Abdullahi agreed with President Museveni, adding that the process of building a National Army was in its formative stages.

President Farmajo invited President Museveni to visit Somali to witness stages the political and security recovery his country has undergone since the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) went to Somalia under the African Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) banner to fight Al-Shaabab terrorists who had taken over the Horn of Africa country.

President Museveni also met Kenyan leader, Uhuru Kenyatta, with whom they discussed issues of political and economic cooperation of their two countries.

Thereafter, President Museveni departed Addis Ababa for home and seen off at Bole International Airport by the Ethiopian Chief of Protocol, Mickel Tobias, Ambassador Rebecca Otengo, Maj. Gen. Francis Okello of African Union (AU) Peace and Security Department, among other officials.