§ Mr. Garel-Jonesasked the Lord Privy Seal whether British Army personnel will take part in the Commonwealth military training team in Uganda; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LuceThe Commonwealth Secretary-General has, at the request of the Ugandan Government, agreed to send a Commonwealth military training team to Uganda to assist with basic military training for the Ugandan Army at the Ugandan School of Infantry at Jinja. We have informed the Commonwealth Secretary-General that we are prepared to contribute up to 19 members of the 36-man Commonwealth team.
The Commonwealth team will comprise military training personnel from Australia, Guyana, Jamaica, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and the United Kingdom. Kenya will provide a liaison officer. Other Commonwealth 403W countries are contributing towards the expenses of the exercise, which will be incured by the Commonwealth Secretariat on behalf of the Ugandan Government. An agreed memorandum of understanding was signed by the Commonwealth Secretary-General and the Ugandan High Commissioner on behalf of the Ugandan Government on 5 March. An advance party under Colonel Clavering, the team leader, and Major Kanu, the second-in-command from Sierra Leone, has already left for Uganda. The 404W principal instructors and their assistants will travel there in a week to a fortnight's time. On current plans the team should be fully in position by the end of March. The purpose of the team is to help with training the Ugandan Army in discipline and basic military skills; it will under no circumstances become involved operationally.
Her Majesty's Government welcome this initiative by the Commonwealth Secretary-General and believe that it will contribute to peace and stability in Uganda.