Uganda Halts Military Cooperation with Germany, Accuses Ambassador of ‘Subversive Activities’
Uganda has abruptly suspended all military cooperation with Germany, citing alleged “subversive activities” by Berlin’s ambassador in Kampala, Mathias Schauer, according to a statement from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
In an announcement posted Sunday on the X platform (formerly Twitter), UPDF spokesperson Brigadier General Chris Magezi said the military had acted on “credible intelligence” indicating that Ambassador Schauer was “actively engaged in subversive activities in the country.”
Details surrounding the nature of the alleged activities were not disclosed. Neither Magezi nor other officials provided specifics about the extent of the military ties previously maintained between Uganda and Germany.
“The Uganda People’s Defence Forces has, with immediate effect, suspended all ongoing defence and military cooperation activities with the Federal Republic of Germany,” Magezi stated.
The German Embassy in Kampala has yet to publicly respond to the accusations and attempts to reach Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs were unsuccessful.
The decision comes amid growing tensions between Uganda and Western diplomats, particularly over issues related to governance and human rights.
Germany, as a member of the European Union, helps fund the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which includes Ugandan forces. The suspension could raise questions about the future of EU-backed operations involving Uganda’s military.
Ugandan military chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the son of long-serving President Yoweri Museveni, added fuel to the controversy on Sunday, stating that the issue was personal rather than diplomatic.
“It has to do with him as a person. He is wholly unqualified to be in Uganda. It has nothing to do with the great German people,” Kainerugaba posted on X, making no attempt to conceal his personal disdain for Ambassador Schauer.
Kainerugaba is known for his controversial and often provocative posts on social media. Earlier this month, he accused the EU of “playing with fire” after a delegation of European ambassadors held a meeting with Uganda’s main opposition party, the National Unity Platform, led by pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine.
The latest move by Uganda may further strain its diplomatic relations with Western powers, many of whom have expressed concerns in recent years over democratic backsliding and restrictions on civil liberties in the country.
