Gaza, We Are Coming: Ugandan Soldiers Prepare to Join the International Force
Videos circulated on social media over the past few hours showing Ugandan soldiers boarding an aircraft.
According to the widely circulated footage, the soldiers were wearing military uniforms bearing their country’s flag insignia. The video was accompanied by the phrase “Gaza, we are coming,” marking the latest development concerning Uganda’s participation in the proposed “international stabilization force” for the Gaza Strip.
No official announcement has been issued by Uganda specifying the aircraft’s destination or confirming that the actual deployment of Ugandan troops inside the Gaza Strip has begun. However, the circulation of the footage comes after the Ugandan Parliament approved the country’s participation in deploying soldiers as part of the international force in Gaza.
It also follows the approval by the Israeli security cabinet, known as the “Cabinet,” on July 26 of the first phase of deploying the international stabilization force and the multinational “Peace Council” force in the Gaza Strip, specifically in the Rafah area. The first phase is expected to involve approximately 200 soldiers from countries friendly to Israel, subject to full coordination.
Uganda Approves the Deployment of Forces to Gaza
On August 6, the Ugandan Parliament approved the deployment of military forces to the Gaza Strip, if necessary, as part of a proposed multinational security force under U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan.
Before the vote, Ugandan Defense Minister Kirya Kiwanuka told lawmakers that Trump had asked Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, through envoys, for Kampala to contribute to the international force.
Kiwanuka told Parliament that the Ugandan president was prepared to deploy the required unit from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces to the Gaza Strip in response to Trump’s request.
He explained that a status-of-forces agreement would be signed after the vote, after some lawmakers raised questions about the legal arrangements that would govern the deployment operation.
The Force Is Part of Trump’s Plan
Uganda’s proposed participation comes as part of Trump’s latest plan for Gaza, which includes deploying an international force to establish stability in areas from which Israeli forces withdraw.
According to the roadmap put forward by Trump, the “International Stabilization Force” would be deployed in Gaza to secure areas from which Israeli forces withdraw. It would also train a new Palestinian police force and support the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The plan links Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip to the disarmament of all factions, including Hamas. A new Palestinian technocratic government would administer the territory and oversee the process of disarming the factions, as well as the storage of heavy weapons, military production sites, weapons depots, and tunnels.
Disarmament and Israeli Withdrawal
The plan underwent new developments on August 10, amid continued disagreement over the sequencing of Hamas’s disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
The roadmap calls for Israel and Hamas to suspend all military operations and links Israel’s withdrawal from the territory to the disarmament of the factions.
Reuters reported that Hamas had accepted the roadmap but objected to subsequent statements by the Peace Council regarding the relinquishment of small arms, while Israel maintained that it would not withdraw from Gaza before the movement’s disarmament was completed.
Under the plan, the disarmament process would be implemented in stages, one area at a time. Israeli forces would withdraw from areas confirmed to be free of weapons after those weapons had been stored and rendered unusable.
Uganda Among the Early Participants
Uganda is among the first countries to announce its willingness to participate in the proposed international force. Kosovo, Albania, and Kazakhstan have allocated military officers and medical personnel for the potential mission, according to Reuters on August 10.
Indonesia, which had previously offered to send thousands of military personnel to carry out medical missions and participate in reconstruction efforts, said that its talks regarding participation had been suspended.
The deployment date for the international force has not yet been determined, while diplomats said that establishing and deploying the force could take several months.
