Uganda halts defense relations with Germany
(MENAFN) Uganda has suspended its defense cooperation with Germany, accusing the European country’s ambassador of supporting groups hostile to the Ugandan government. In a statement released on Monday via the army’s official website, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesperson Chris Magezi cited “credible intelligence” as the reason for the move.
According to Magezi, German Ambassador Matthias Schauer has been “actively involved in subversive activities” within Uganda. He stated that the suspension of defense collaboration would remain in place until the allegations are fully investigated and resolved.
Schauer, who has been Germany’s envoy to Uganda since 2020, has not issued a public response. However, Germany has firmly denied the accusations. A spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry described the claims as “absurd and without merit,” according to Reuters.
The UPDF did not name the groups allegedly involved or elaborate on the ambassador’s supposed actions. Local media reports suggest the dispute may have been sparked after Schauer privately raised concerns with General Salim Saleh—Presidential Advisor on Defense and Security—about threatening posts made on social media by Uganda’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Kainerugaba, who is also President Yoweri Museveni’s son, recently warned that the European Union was “playing with fire” following a meeting between EU diplomats and opposition members of the National Unity Platform.
Germany has participated in military cooperation across Africa, primarily through training and security assistance, although the extent of its collaboration with Uganda remains unclear. The German Foreign Office maintains there is no formal military agreement with Kampala.
Ugandan troops contribute to the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, a mission partly funded by the EU.
Ugandan officials have increasingly voiced concerns about foreign involvement in internal politics, accusing international actors of covertly backing opposition groups. The situation mirrors broader tensions in the region, where multiple African nations, particularly in the Sahel, have severed defense partnerships with Western powers like France, citing interference and neocolonial behavior.
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