The Ugandan Army has announced the suspension of all military cooperation with Germany after accusing Ambassador Matthias Schauer of being involved in “disruptive activities” and being in East Africa for being “fully ineligible.”
The Army did not back up its claims, but the decision shows a sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries.
A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry refused to file accusations and called them “absurd and without any credit,” Reuters reports.
The very unusual attack on Schauer reportedly raised concerns about the president’s son, Secretary of Army Muhuj Kainergava, at last week’s meeting.
In X, the general recently threatened to decapitate opposition leader Robert Kagulany.
General Kainergaba also boasted about torture Wine’s bodyguard after he was taken into custody.
Rights groups have accused the Ugandan government of targeting opposition parties, particularly in the election preparations.
Wine will face President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for nearly 40 years in next year’s election.
Critics of Museveni claim that the government is run by a family dynasty – his wife, Janet Museveni, is the Minister of Education, and his brother, General Salim Sale, is the lead coordinator of the government programme known as Opera Wealth Creation.
General Saleh held a private meeting with European Union diplomats last week. There, Schauer, the German ambassador to Uganda since 2020, raised concerns about the Army Secretary’s controversial tweets and concerns about the “reputation damage” that has been caused by Uganda.
General Kainergaba fought back in a post on Sunday, saying he had “connected with him” and “has had problems.”
“He is completely unqualified to be in Uganda. It has nothing to do with the great Germans. I admire a lot,” he posted.
In another statement, Army spokesman Colonel Chris Maguezi said Uganda has immediately stopped all defense and military cooperation with Germany due to a “reliable intelligence report” that Schauer is involved in “disruptive activities.”
“This suspension will remain effective until a full resolution of the issue of ambassador engagement with the pseudo-military forces operating domestically against the Uganda government,” the statement added.
The German embassy in Uganda said on its website that bilateral trade between the two countries was worth around $335 million (£247 million) in 2024, and that the relationship was based on “stability and trust.”
It gave no details of military cooperation between the two countries.
Uganda is deeply involved in peacekeeping operations, including Somalia, helping to fight armed Muslim groups trying to overthrow the government.
