The Ugandan troops in the western African country of Equatorial Guinea have given the President Teodoro Obiang Nguema confidence and protection against the surging Coups in West Africa.
About 700 soldiers have been deployed in the West African country to train and mentor the weak national army which was about 1,500 personnel when the UPDF deployed there in 2017.
Military coups in the region-Mali 2020 and 2021, Guinea Bissau in 2021, Burkinafaso in 2022 and recently Niger and Gabon in 2023 have created fear in the region especially those countries formerly colonised by France.
President Nguema, who assumed power in 1979 after overthrowing his uncle Fransico Macia Nguema, the country’s first president, is being guarded by Ugandan troops drawn from different UPDF units.
” The UPDF has been mentoring their troops and think soon they will be able to stand on their own,” said a UPDF source
The Equatorial Guinea, a former Portuguese colony and like Gabon is being ruled by one family. The Vice president is Nguema’s son.