Parliament Approves UPDF Deployment to Gaza Stabilisation Force

What the report says

Uganda’s Parliament has approved the deployment of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) personnel to Gaza as part of a proposed international stabilisation mission, according to Nile Post. The decision came after a contentious debate in which opposition lawmakers pressed the government for more detail on the mission’s mandate, cost, legal basis and the risks to troops.

The motion was introduced by Defence and Veteran Affairs Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka during a sitting chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa. Kiwanuka said Uganda was asked to take part in the United States-backed plan after outreach from U.S. President Donald Trump to President Yoweri Museveni, and argued that Uganda’s peacekeeping record made its forces suitable for the role. Supporters in the ruling party described the move as recognition of the UPDF’s experience in regional and international operations.

Opposition MPs argued that Parliament was being asked to approve a sensitive deployment without enough information. They warned that the force would be entering a volatile conflict zone and sought clarity on whether Ugandan troops would have combat duties or could be drawn into the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The article says government has indicated a Status of Forces Agreement will still need to be negotiated to define the legal framework for any deployment.

The proposed mission is intended to help secure areas of Gaza as part of a broader post-war arrangement, and Uganda would become one of the first countries to publicly receive parliamentary approval for participation. The article says the approval does not mean troops are leaving immediately, as diplomatic, legal and logistical steps still remain.