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Without careful thought, the Ugandan opposition dismissed the tweets as “booze” at hand. In response, the soldier-man called politicians “fools,” implying an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of less than 50, resulting in a dismal ability to detect and solve problems.
By comparison, the Ugandan opposition needs to intensify its intellectual vigilance on foreign relations issues. Their general approach to NRM is not satisfactory.
Museveni has hired foreign lobbyists, such as Rosa Whitaker from The Whitaker Group to guide him to understand the Western mentality in terms of African political programs. This always positions it ahead of their actual implementation schedules in order to remain an important regional ally.
In the mid-2000s, for example, he learned of the existence of an impending Western plan to sponsor African armies to fight al-Shabab in Somalia and prepared accordingly. In March 2007, he became the first African leader to deploy to Mogadishu just months after the UN Security Council and the African Union established AMSOM, the African Union Mission in Somalia.
In the midst of this, opposition leader Dr Kiiza Besigye continued to sound more on international mother tongue issues, but more to impress the already converted local audience. He was on the trail of the 2010/11 campaign promising the immediate withdrawal of troops from Somalia at the entrance to State House in order to redirect resources towards improving the welfare of security personnel. FDC spokesman Semuju Ibrahim Nganda was in all media spaces warming up to celebrate the UPDF losses in Somalia through roasting goats! They hardly considered how such positions undermined the prospects for opposition among foreign observers. After experiencing horror-filled security responses to its 2015/6 campaigns; Besigye was comforted by high-level platforms in America and Europe to share views on Uganda’s commitment to democracy and human rights. Surprisingly, his dominant theme in town halls was to draw verbal images of Museveni being a typical colonial agent, running a colonial police state in Uganda. How did this affect the Western powers? It just strengthened their faith in man. During their time, the colonialists conducted business in the colonies on behalf of their posterity today. Today’s neo-colonialists are even more concerned with ensuring a better future for their offspring.
Cultivate a different heritage?
In the tweets, Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba openly declares his support for Egypt, warning anyone who dares to be cautious or anger Uganda. The commander-in-chief and presidential adviser on defense also condemns the Ethiopian government for its conflict with the people of Tigray whom he calls his “brothers”. He tacitly owns these positions, referencing them to the stories of his late grandfather, Amos Kaguta. He recalls that the late Kaguta had an ethnic link between the Ugandan Banyankole and the Egyptian people and only the Tigray among the Ethiopian people. He says to this although the late Kaguta is inaccessible to authenticate the claims. For this reason, as the potential president of Uganda soon, Muhoozi has pledged to commit the country to defend Egypt and Tigray in the event of an attack. The Ugandan military officially supports his views only as its own right to express them. But the national army, currently led by a different commander-in-chief, does not commit to joining. Uganda’s official positions on the Ethiopian conflicts have previously been viewed as neutral, with President Yoweri Museveni repeatedly offering to mediate between the warring parties. The implication on paper is that as a possible new president, Museveni’s son will seek to cultivate a different heritage.
What triggers these proclamations?
The current fierce competition for international geostrategic influence in Africa is a key factor. As the world tends to reestablish the old ideological poles; with the West under Washington and the East under Moscow and Beijing, developing countries are struggling to recalibrate their foreign policy in this dynamic. When it comes to the Ethiopian conflicts, Uganda is seen alongside Eritrea as well as the United Arab Emirates, China and Russia as the external forces supporting Addis Ababa. Kampala is known for supporting Ethiopia’s water development efforts and at the same time advising Egypt and Sudan to consider developing alternative water resources for their needs, especially the vast Congo River. in the DRC.
Therefore, the new development proposed by General Muhoozi is for all intents and purposes not triggered by intoxicants as the Ugandan opposition claims. It is deliberate and intentional. It contains the implication of reshaping the perceptions held by the Western bloc on Uganda. The Western powers, which are clearly pro-Egyptian, Sudan and Tigray, increasingly perceive that Kampala is emerging as a potential regional adversary promoting Russian and Chinese interests in Africa. Like Ethiopia, Uganda and many other African countries have been closely engulfed by China for decades, and it is quite difficult for them to disentangle themselves from Beijing. China has constructed the current magnificent halls of the AU Headquarters in Ethiopia and many other state houses and buildings for government ministries across the African continent. It is only young generational leadership that can detach Africa from the deep-rooted Chinese connection. This explains the return of foreign-backed military coups this decade, a departure from the mass uprisings of the past decade. Muhoozi comes in with both ends – military and generational credentials. The question is can anyone believe it?
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