RismadarVoice Reporters, August 6, 2026
Uganda’s Parliament has approved the deployment of troops to Gaza as part of the proposed International Stabilisation Force aimed at supporting security and stability in the war-ravaged territory following the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The approval, secured on Thursday after a motion presented by Defence Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka, marks Uganda’s first public commitment to participate in the multinational force proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.
Uganda joins Morocco, which has also pledged troops for the planned mission.
The proposed force is expected to deploy only after the phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, although no timeline has been confirmed and uncertainty remains over when, or if, the withdrawal will be completed.
The decision sparked debate in Uganda’s Parliament, with opposition lawmakers questioning the country’s involvement in the Middle East conflict.
Legislator Hassan Kirumira raised concerns that the deployment could create diplomatic challenges for Uganda, particularly given its membership of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
He also questioned the specific role Ugandan troops would play in the mission.
“The big question is: On which side is our army going to fight?” Kirumira asked during parliamentary deliberations.
Defence Minister Kiwanuka defended the proposal, citing Uganda’s extensive peacekeeping experience in conflict zones, including long-running operations in Somalia.
The International Stabilisation Force, unveiled by Trump’s Board of Peace in February, is expected to comprise about 20,000 personnel and would be led by U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers.
According to Jeffers, the force is intended to help maintain security and support long-term peace and reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
The proposed deployment follows an agreement announced last week under which Hamas would disarm while Israel would gradually withdraw its forces from Gaza as part of a broader ceasefire arrangement.
The agreement outlines a framework requiring Israel to end military operations and Hamas and allied armed groups to cease militant activities, while also providing for the eventual deployment of the international force.
However, Israeli authorities have expressed what they described as “serious security concerns” regarding aspects of the agreement and said those concerns had been communicated to the United States.
Despite the ceasefire framework announced last year, violence has continued. Reports indicate that more than 1,200 people have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire agreement was reached in October, underscoring the fragile security situation in the territory.
