Army to demobilise “thousands” in modernisation process

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has finalised a programme where thousands of soldiers including senior officers will be demobilised as a way of modernising the institution, the semi-official ‘Sunday Monitor’ reported. It said the move would affect more than 300 officers and thousands of men and women in the rank and file. Deputy Army Commander Brig Joram Mugume confirmed the exercise, but said that retirement and demobilisation were normal, the newspaper said. Top military sources said the army leadership last year started compiling names of officers to be retired to create room for the young cadres as one way of modernising the army, the newspaper added.