A Ugandan military court has sacked two military officers after finding them guilty of cowardice during the May 2023 incident in which terrorists stormed an African Union base in Somalia.

At least 54 UPDF soldiers including a senior commander were killed during the Al-Shabaab attack on Bulo Marer.

The court martial ruled that Colonel Deo Akiki and Major John Oluka ran away after they came under attack by al-Shabab in Bulo Marer, south of the capital Mogadishu, BBC reported.

The court sitting in Mogadishu reportedly heard that the officers had been given warning of an impending attack but failed to act to deter it.

As al-Shabab gunmen stormed the base, they failed to rally their troops and instead ran away to another base, the court further established, as cited by the BBC.

Both officers have been dismissed from the army.

Four non-commissioned officers were also found guilty of failing to protect military equipment.

In a tweet shortly after the attack, Museveni praised the UPDF army for demonstrating “remarkable resilience and reorganizing themselves, resulting in the recapture of the base”, but blamed the two commanders whom he said had ordered the soldiers to retreat.