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Uganda’s military chief has warned that the African country’s armed forces could enter the Iran war on Israel’s side, after issuing a series of statements that went viral on social media this week.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s son, General Muhoozi Kainrugaba, who is considered his likely successor, has posted a flurry of posts on X this week in support of Israel.
“We stand with Israel because we are Christians,” he wrote in another post, adding, “Uganda is the David the world has forgotten and neglected. We will defeat the giant, Goliath.”
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Canarugaba began his social media blitz with, “We want the war in the Middle East to end now. The world is tired of it. But any talk of destroying or defeating Israel will bring us into war. On Israel’s side!”
According to the Ugandan Ministry of Defence, the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) consists of 45,000 active military personnel with approximately 35,000 in reserve. It is estimated that it will have about 240 tanks and more than 1,000 armored fighting vehicles.
The nation is also heavily involved militarily in conflict-affected countries. Its troops fight as part of the African Union force against Islamist al-Shabaab militants in Somalia. His forces are still operating against the Islamic State-linked ADF terrorist group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Although Iran has no interests in Uganda, it has been accused of running covert operations in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, including running smuggling networks and controversial diplomatic and economic outreach with dubious motives throughout the region. Although Uganda is landlocked, it is said to be wary of Iran’s strategic interest in gaining a presence in the territorial waters of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.
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General Muhoozi Kainrugaba of the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) attends his military decoration ceremony at the Bombo Military Barracks in Bombo, Luweero District, Uganda on October 10, 2022. (Abubekar Lubova/Reuters)
In another post he said, “Israel stood by us in the 1980s and 1990s when we were nobody. Why wouldn’t we defend it now when our GDP is $100 billion? One of the largest in Africa.”
Israel has historically trained Ugandan forces, including generals. It is understood that Uganda maintains a strong strategic partnership with Israel, with close security and intelligence ties.
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from the Israeli city of Ashkelon on October 9, 2023. (Aamir Cohen/Reuters)
It was not always like this. In 1976, when dictator Idi Amin was aggressively opposing Israel, four terrorists hijacked Air France Flight 139 en route from Tel Aviv to France. The aircraft was diverted to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. During the night of July 3, 1976, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a long-range rescue operation, originally named Operation Thunderbolt, to rescue 106 mostly Israeli hostages.
The mission was retroactively named Operation Yonatan after its leader, Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu, older brother of the current Israeli Prime Minister, was killed by a Ugandan sniper during the raid. Israeli troops successfully defended themselves, but four hostages, seven hijackers and 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed.
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Kainrugaba announced that in a further gesture of goodwill towards Israel, he wanted to erect a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu at Entebbe’s airport at the exact spot where he fell. This week, Canarugaba posted a photo of the statue on Instagram, dubbing it “a sneak peek”.
