Four Ugandan soldiers who escaped from their military base in Bula marer town after al-Shabaab attacked had been surviving on urine for six days before being rescued by Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) forces who recaptured the base from al-Shabaab.
UPDF spokesperson for the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), Brigadier General Felix Kulaigye who spoke to VOA Somali said the four soldiers including a lieutenant, survived by hiding within and around the base in the town of Bulo Marer, 110 kilometres south of Mogadishu.
“When we recovered, they were weak because they were only surviving on urine,” Kulaigye said.
He said each of the soldiers was hiding alone, in separate locations.
The remarks of the spokesperson come days after President Yoweri Museveni confirmed death of at least 54 soldiers, including a commander who were killed by al-Shabaab fighters.
Two weeks ago, Al-Shabaab fighters stormed the base in Bulamarer, 130 kilometres (80 miles) southwest of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
Museveni said that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) had since recaptured the base from the al-Qaeda-linked armed group.
“Our soldiers demonstrated remarkable resilience and reorganized themselves, resulting in the recapture of the base. We discovered the lifeless bodies of fifty-four fallen soldiers, including a Commander,” Museveni said.
Al-Shabaab via its communication channels claimed it had overrun the base and to have killed 137 soldiers at the base.
Al-Shabaab has since 2006 has been fighting to topple Somali government and establish its own administration.
The 20,000-strong ATMIS force has a more offensive remit than its predecessor known as AMISOM.
The force is drawn from Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya, with troops deployed in southern and central Somalia. Its goal is to hand over security responsibilities to Somalia’s army and police by 2024.
