A Uganda People’s Defense Forces soldier on a peace mission in Somalia has allegedly shot three colleagues dead before being wrestled down and arrested.
The incident reportedly took place on Monday at around 6:00 a.m. at the Ajazera gate at the Base Camp, the command center for the Ugandan Contingent, according to reports from Mogadishu.
Reports further indicate that the suspect, who is a corporal, had a quarrel with his colleague, a Lance Corporal, in the evening, and at about 5:45 am, he followed his colleague to his place and shot him dead.
The soldier reportedly ran out of ammunition, and a nearby soldier grabbed him, wrestled him down, and subdued him before assistance arrived and he was taken into custody.
According to UPDF spokesperson Brig Gen Felix Kulaigye, the soldier will be tried by a field court martial in Somalia.
This is not the first time a UPDF soldier has been involved in such misconduct in Somalia. On May 13, 2019, several soldiers shot at themselves.
In June 2019, a UPDF captain shot his colleague before turning the gun on himself.
In October last year, the army’s appellant court quashed the death sentence on two soldiers who were convicted along with three other colleagues for killing seven civilians in Somalia.