KAMPALA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday presided over the passing-out ceremony of 1,741 soldiers from the Central African Republic (CAR) who completed 12 months of joint military training with their Ugandan counterparts.
According to a State House statement issued here, the ceremony was held at the Kaweweta Military Training School in the central Ugandan district of Nakaseke, where 11,948 recruits of the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) also graduated after completing basic military training.
Museveni congratulated the graduates on successfully completing the course, which began in 2025 as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the capacity of the CAR armed forces.
"First of all, I want to congratulate the soldiers from the Central African Republic and those from Uganda who have completed this course," Museveni said.
According to the UPDF, the training program is being implemented under a bilateral defense agreement signed in 2024 to professionalize the CAR military and enhance its capacity to address security challenges, promote peace and contribute to regional stability.
Uganda and the CAR maintain a strategic defense partnership, particularly in efforts to combat the Lord's Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group that has operated in parts of the CAR for years. ■