Col. George Buga Andrua has assumed his role as the commander of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) Aviation Unit, taking over from Brig Gen Ham Atwooki Kaija, who held the position for the past two years. The handover ceremony occurred at Baledogle Military Airfield, 110 km Northwest of Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.
During the event, Brig Gen Peter Omola, the sector one commander, commended Brig Gen Kaija for his successful tour of duty, highlighting his astuteness, skills, and dedication to enhancing the force’s capabilities in the war theater, particularly the Aviation Utilities used in the fight against Al-Shabaab terrorists.
Omola stressed the importance of teamwork in the military and praised the Aviation Unit for its role in enhancing the mission’s effectiveness.
He also congratulated Col. George Buga for his appointment as the Commander of the ATMIS Aviation Unit, emphasizing the need for teamwork and seeking advice from various sources in the execution of his responsibilities.
Brig Gen Kaija, in his handover report, highlighted the successful operations conducted by the UPDF Aviation unit, which was deployed in Somalia in August 2020. These operations included rapid casualty evacuation, troop insertion and extraction, and the destruction of Al-Shabaab targets.
Col. George Buga expressed his gratitude to the UPDF leadership for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the Aviation Unit and pledged to work diligently in his new role.
The handover ceremony was attended by various military officials, including Col John Bosco Kalyango, the sector one Contingent Administration Officer (CAO), Lt Col Kefa Mukomba, the deputy Aviation commander, Lt Col Peter Barigye, the deputy Battle Group 36 commander, and all heads of department from the Aviation unit.
