Uganda: Suspends Turkey Military Cooperation Over Extradition Refusal

• Uganda has suspended all military and defense cooperation with Turkey due to Ankara's refusal to extradite exiled blogger Fred Lumbuye.
• Lumbuye faces 15 criminal charges in Uganda, including incitement to violence, and a Turkish court ruled against his extradition in July 2022.
• The suspension follows a public demonstration and strong threats from Ugandan army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, President Museveni's son.
• This action impacts nearly a decade of close defense ties, including agreements on military training, arms, and counter-terrorism.
• The dispute also involves threats to cancel a $3 billion railway contract with a Turkish firm and expel Turkish nationals from Uganda.

The suspension of military cooperation marks a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions between the two nations, rooted in a contentious extradition dispute.

Uganda has officially suspended all military and defense cooperation with Turkey, a move directly attributed to Ankara's persistent refusal to extradite Fred Lumbuye, an exiled Ugandan blogger and vocal critic of President Yoweri Museveni. The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) announced the immediate cessation of ties on Saturday, stating that the measure would remain in effect until outstanding issues concerning mutual defense and military collaboration between the two countries are resolved.

This significant diplomatic step underscores the growing friction between Uganda and Turkey over the blogger's status. The suspension impacts a relationship that has fostered close defense ties for nearly a decade, encompassing various agreements on military training, arms, and security cooperation.

At the heart of the dispute is Fred Lumbuye, a Ugandan dissident who resides in Turkey and uses his platform to criticize the Ugandan government. He faces a formidable list of 15 criminal charges in Uganda, including incitement to violence, spreading false information, and computer misuse. Despite Uganda's formal request, a Turkish court ruled against Lumbuye's extradition in July 2022, allowing him to continue his activities from abroad.

Lumbuye's online presence, particularly his posts and YouTube channel discussing Ugandan politics, garners thousands of views, affording him a level of influence and a platform largely unavailable to critics within Uganda. This situation has drawn the ire of high-ranking Ugandan officials, most notably army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is President Museveni's son and widely considered his likely successor. Kainerugaba has reportedly clashed repeatedly with Turkish authorities over their handling of the extradition request.

The UPDF's announcement followed a day after hundreds of Ugandans, affiliated with the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), staged a demonstration outside the Turkish embassy in Kampala. The PLU, a civic and political pressure group associated with Kainerugaba, demanded Lumbuye's extradition, with its secretary-general, Fadil Twalla, expressing deep disappointment and asserting that Lumbuye was using Turkish territory to attack Uganda's national leadership.

Kainerugaba himself amplified these sentiments on social media, commending the PLU's 'spirit of lions' and issuing a stark warning: 'The Turks will comply with all our demands. If they don't, life will become untenable for them in Uganda.' This public pressure comes amidst broader threats from Uganda, including the cancellation of a $3 billion Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) contract with Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi and the expulsion of Turkish nationals from the country. Kainerugaba announced the cancellation of the railway contract in June, characterizing it as an intensification of hostile actions against Turkey.

The suspension of military cooperation marks a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions between the two nations, rooted in a contentious extradition dispute. Uganda and Turkey have maintained close defence ties for nearly a decade, formalized by a defence-industries cooperation agreement in June 2016, which was further broadened by a military training agreement in 2022. Their collaboration spans critical areas such as military training, arms and surveillance equipment, technology transfers, and cooperation on counter-terrorism and security.

This development also highlights the evolving political landscape within Uganda, where President Museveni, who secured his seventh term in May, is increasingly seen as ceding influence to his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Analysts suggest Kainerugaba has become the dominant force in the country amid a mounting crackdown on critics. For Turkey, which has been actively expanding its influence across Africa through military training and other engagements, this dispute with Uganda represents a notable setback in its continental strategy.

Source: Original reporting via AllAfrica