KAMPALA, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military on Wednesday dispatched the first export of military wear to Equatorial Guinea.
Ugandan Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs Vincent Ssempijja flagged off the consignment of 5,400 cartons of army uniforms and accessories at the Entebbe Airforce base, 40 km south of the capital Kampala.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni thanked his Equatorial Guinea counterpart Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, and his government for choosing to trade with the East African country, said a statement issued here.
The uniforms and accessories of armed forces are manufactured by Southern Range Nyanza Limited (Nytil), based in the eastern Ugandan city of Jinja.
Ssempijja, on behalf of the president, also thanked Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, vice president of Equatorial Guinea, "who has been behind this effort to link the two brotherly countries in the sphere of trade and investments."
Richard Mubiru, corporate affairs director of Nytil, noted that this is the first time the company is exporting military wear outside the East Africa region, under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Uganda has more than 100 troops in Equatorial Guinea, helping build the capacity and professionalization of the Central African nation's army. ■