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The Chief of Military Intelligence, Major General James Birungi has underscored importance of regional efforts in addressing issues of mutual security concern and tackling the threats of terrorism, drugs, human trafficking, and money laundering among others in a meeting between the Military Intelligence of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces and the Defence Intelligence of the South Africa National Defence Forces.

In a meeting between the Military Intelligence of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces and the Defence Intelligence of the South Africa National Defence Forces held on 11th September 2023 at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran affairs, Major General James Birungi, the chief of military intelligence, emphasized the importance of regional efforts in addressing issues of mutual security concern and tackling the threats of terrorism, drugs, human trafficking, and money laundering among others.

This was contained in his speech that was delivered on his behalf by the Commandant National Counter Terrorism Centre, Brigadier General Dominic Twesigomwe during a Defence Intelligence Exchange Meeting between the Military Intelligence of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces and the Defence Intelligence of the South Africa National Defence Forces that was held on Monday at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs Headquarters – Mbuya.

“Addressing the above threats require concerted bilateral regional efforts. This meeting is one of such efforts of sharing and exchanging intelligence and proposing ways of jointly dealing with these threats,” said Maj Gen Birungi.

Maj Gen Birungi underscored Uganda’s contribution towards regional stabilization efforts in the East African Community Regional Force in DRC, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia among others.

Colonel Otsile Benedict Segami who led the SANDF Intelligence delegation said that the meeting comes at the backdrop of positive global developments of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Summit that was held in South Africa and the Uganda – South Africa Trade and Investment Summit that was held in Kampala.

“This is a good stepping stone not only for the business domain, but also boils down to us as a security cluster fostering relations between the two governments,” said Col Segami.

Col Segami reiterated the significance of the meeting and said, “the importance of this meeting is to deliberate on shared interests in enhancing regional and continental defence and security. We must continue to engage one another so that we find amicable solutions to the problems affecting not only our countries but also the security of the continent.”

Present at the meeting were the Defence Attaché of South Africa to Uganda, Colonel Xolayi Petelo Mbekeni, Directors, and Staff Officers from UPDF and SANDF.