Ugandan-German military ties suspended amid diplomatic row
The Ugandan army has suspended its cooperation with Germany, accusing Ambassador Mathias Schauer of subversive activities. Berlin defends its diplomat and insists that it has no formal military cooperation with Uganda.
What do you need to know?
- The Ugandan army (UPDF) announced the suspension of its cooperation with Germany. Ambassador Mathias Schauer was previously accused of subversive activity and incompetence.
- The suspension is to last until the matter of Schauer's alleged connections with - as stated by Col. Chris Magezi - "hostile pseudo-political-military forces" is fully resolved.
- The spokesperson for the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the accusations by the Ugandan army are unfounded.
Col. Chris Magezi, acting as the spokesperson for the Ugandan forces, wrote on social media that the decision to cease military cooperation with Germany is based on "credible intelligence reports."
In his assessment, the information contained within these reports provides grounds to suspect the German ambassador of ties with "hostile pseudo-political-military forces" operating against the Ugandan government.
A twist in Uganda regarding Germany. Berlin surprised
The spokesperson for the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected Uganda's accusations during a press conference in Berlin. He assessed that they are "baseless."
He emphasised that there is no formal military cooperation between Berlin and Kinshasa. The only connection that might exist is the fact that Uganda participates in the African Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia, which are partially funded by the European Union, including Germany.
Accusations against Ambassador Schauer arose after he expressed concerns regarding General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of the President of Uganda.
General Kainerugaba is known for his controversial posts on platform X, where he threatens opposition politicians and neighbouring countries. Recently, he threatened to behead opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, and boasted about torturing his bodyguard.