The army says a relief exercise involving over 2,700 UPDF troops replacing those who have worked in Somalia for the last one year, has ended successfully without any mishap.
According to the army spokesperson Lt Col Paddy Ankunda, the last flight of Battle Group 20 from Entebbe arrived in Mogadishu yesterday with one hundred and forty nine troops on board and took back an equivalent number, marking the end of a three weeks long rotation exercise.
The commander of Battle Group 17, Col Bob Paciesky Ogiki led the last troops on the flight manifest from the mission area (Somalia), that landed in Entebbe Airport last evening.
Ankunda says before his departure, Battle Group XVII Commander, Col Bob Ogiki handed over the area of operation to Col. Bernard Tuhame, the commander of the new force, Battle Group twenty.
The handover ceremony was presided over by Uganda Contingent Commander Brigadier Sam Okiding, who is also due for rotation out of the mission area.
Battle group XX has taken over areas of Barawe in lower Shabelle Region in Somalia and its surroundings.