Uganda pointedly reminds the world of its strategic significance

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Just over a month after it announced the formation of a new rapid response unit of its armed forces, Uganda is again flexing its military muscles by deploying hundreds of troops to Somalia. According to a Ugandan army spokesperson, the 410-strong special squad is set to guard United Nations installations in Mogadishu, freeing up U.N.-backed AMISOM troops to pursue al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants in their hide-outs.

The deployment comes in the wake of a deadly suicide attack last week that left 12 people dead outside of the headquarters of Somalia’s intelligence agency in Mogadishu. Al-Shabab’s new guerrilla-style attacks, which include suicide bombs and late-night mortar shelling, have proven to be a major challenge to the 22,000 AMISOM troops in the country, not to mention a strain on the already tenuous hold of the new government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud. The escalation of attacks by the militant group in recent weeks has raised alarm bells — and provided a good opening for Kampala which has made a point of emphasizing its military engagement in African regional affairs lately.

Uganda already contributes as many as 6,000 troops to the AMISOM force. But, according to army spokesman Lt. Col Paddy Ankunda, this new special force would be the “first of its kind under AMISOM” and could provide just the boost to turn the tide of al-Shabab’s most recent insurgency. Uganda’s support will no doubt come as welcome news to the U.N. Last week, the Security Council issued a statement underscoring its “determination to continue to support all international efforts aimed at ending the threat posed by al-Shabab.” Uganda’s decision to oblige the council comes with its own set of benefits for the government of President Yoweri Museveni, however.

Kampala has used its robust involvement in continental conflicts to boost its geopolitical standing. The Uganda People’s Defense Force is currently deployed in four different countries, including South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. For a small country, this is quite a feat — and one that has proven to be a valuable selling point for the Museveni government both globally and domestically.

VISUAL CONTEXT: Uganda’s aid

Uganda’s international profile has taken a beating over the past week in the aftermath of the passage of a controversial anti-gay law. Aside from the expected condemnation from human rights groups and Western governments (as well as some slightly surprising criticism from the Vatican), Uganda has also faced a freeze in aid from the World Bank, which put a planned $90 million loan on hold late last week. Despite Kampala’s dismissive attitude in response, the threat to aid is no small matter for a country that relies heavily on foreign donor assistance. Backtracking on the domestically popular anti-gay bill, however, is not an option.

Thus, the timely reminder of Uganda’s valuable military capabilities and their role in the fight against al-Shabab — a key Western priority in the region. This is, of course, the calculation Museveni has been making all along. As long as Museveni can continue to assert his country’s regional strategic significance, Uganda is, unfortunately, not likely to become the international pariah human rights activists have been campaigning for.