Prime
Museveni calls for joint Africa guard
President Museveni inspects a guard of honour l at Algeria Military Academy in Cherchell, west of the capital Algiers. On his right is Maj Gen Ahcene Tafer, the Algeria Land Forces Commander, and Gen Bouafia Belracem, the commandant of the academy. PHOTO BY PPU
Kampala- The current generation has a duty to defend the sovereignty of Africa, President Museveni has said.
Citing Libya as an example, Mr Museveni accused Western powers of using their might to intervene in the country’s uprising and ousting Col Maummar Gadaffi in 2011 without consulting leaders on the continent.
“How are we going to defend Africa? You saw the mistakes in Libya. On some issues, they (West) don’t consult us and on others, they go against us like was the case for Libya. We, the African leaders need to answer the question of how to defend Africa in modern times,” he said.
The President made the remarks on Tuesday in Algeria while touring the Military Academy of Cherchell, an institution under the Ministry of National Defence, National Armed Forces Military staff Land forces Command of the Democratic Republic of Algeria.
Mr Museveni is on a four-day state visit to Algeria where he applauded the Algerian Military Academy for emphasising the teaching of science and technology in military training, which is a detonator of change.
“When you lag behind in science and technology, you either become a slave and don’t get the freedom or get it at the mercy of others,” he said.
On arrival at the academy, President Museveni, who was accompanied by the Algerian minister for African Affairs and Cooperation, Mr Lamamra Ramtane, inspected a guard of honour.
Maj Gen Ahcene Tafer, the Algeria Land Forces Commander, and Gen Bouafia Belracem, the commandant of the Academy, later escorted him on the tour. Mr Museveni saluted the Algerian People’s struggle against colonialism and promoting African peace.
The President left Uganda last Saturday for the 11th Summit of the Northern Corridor Integrated Projects, hosted at Safari Park Hotel-Nairobi Kenya. From Kenya, he went to Algeria.
On Sunday, Mr Museveni announced that Uganda will be opening an embassy in Algeria.
