Jump to navigation

Uganda

Diplomatic glitch after government agrees to take in Afghan refugees

Foreign ministry initiative creates tensions with the presidency in Entebbe

President Yoweri Museveni's government may have seen a chance to curry favour with the United States by quickly agreeing to take in 2,000 refugees fleeing Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power there. But the move angered President Museveni when it emerged that miscommunications with a junior minister over the arrangements had bounced Uganda's government into making the offer.

'The request was made yesterday by the US government to H.E. [President Museveni] and he has given them an OK to bring 2,000 refugees to Uganda,' government minister Esther Anyakun Davinia told Reuters, adding that 'they are going to be here temporarily for three months before the US government resettles them elsewhere.'

That was news to Museveni. Foreign minister Jeje Odongo has since rowed back on the promise, insisting that the resettlement plan has not been finally agreed with the US. Odongo's deputy, Oryem Okello, told reporters on Thursday that 'they are not refugees; the US asked us on whether we could take them in temporarily as they are vetted possibly for relocation.'

The first group of 500 Afghans had been expected to arrive in Uganda on Monday night, but are yet to arrive. Uganda was the first of six African countries that the US asked to host fleeing Afghan nationals to agree.

Following sustained US government criticism of the intimidation and arrest of opposition leaders and allegation of vote rigging in January's disputed presidential elections, Museveni may have seen a chance to strengthen his position and repair relations with Washington (AC Vol 62 No 11, Cracks in the ruling party). Failing to agree on the terms of the refugee assistance programme would be an embarrassing setback.



Related Articles

Cracks in the ruling party

The government flounders as condemnation of rights abuses grows along with the popularity of oppositionist Bobi Wine

President Yoweri Museveni may be closing on a fourth decade in power but all is far from well in his restive ruling party as members wait for him...


Border reopening points to diplomatic thaw

President Museveni's son and putative successor played key role in sensitive negotiations as Kampala and Kigali discuss new regional security threats

The agreement between Uganda's General Muhoozi Kainerugaba and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame to re-open their countries' common land border on 31 January was driven by economic logic but...


Museveni's party

Museveni now has a mandate to tackle the economy – as long as the army is kept happy

Kaguta has won and the man better known as Yoweri Museveni is Uganda's first elected President, with 72.4 per cent of the vote. Museveni chose to run with...


Central bank cracks whip

Museveni is looking for ways of financing his 2016 election campaign and officials are reluctant to print money

A rift between President Yoweri Museveni and the Governor of the Bank of Uganda, Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile, is rapidly widening. The Governor recently revealed that during the 2011 presidential...


Drawing the battle lines

Museveni is making sure of electoral victory in 2016, but more and more rivals and defectors are chipping away at his support

Speaking on YouTube on 15 June, John Patrick Amama Mbabazi declared his intention to secure the governing National Resistance Movement's presidential nomination, in place of President Yoweri Museveni....