KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda suspends military cooperation with Turkey following escalating demands for Ankara to hand over Fred Lumbuye, a prominent political blogger and fierce critic of President Yoweri Museveni. The Ugandan army announced the decision on Saturday, marking a significant disruption in the two nations’ long-standing defense relationship.
Army spokesman Chris Magezi stated that the Uganda People’s Defense Forces had immediately suspended all defense and military cooperation with Turkey. Menzi indicated that this measure will remain in place until outstanding defense and military cooperation issues between the two countries are fully resolved, though he provided no further details regarding specific conditions or a timeline for reinstatement.
The suspension follows repeated clashes between Turkish authorities and Ugandan Army Chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, President Museveni’s son and widely regarded likely successor, over extradition requests for the political commentator. Lumbuye currently faces 15 criminal charges in Uganda, which include incitement to violence, spreading false information, and computer misuse.
Tensions surrounding the extradition demands recently boiled over into public demonstrations. On Friday, thousands of Ugandans linked to the Patriotic League of Uganda—a civic and political pressure group associated with Kainerugaba—gathered to protest outside the Turkish embassy in Kampala.
This diplomatic friction interrupts nearly a decade of close defense ties between Uganda and Turkey. The longstanding partnership has historically encompassed military training, the procurement of arms and surveillance equipment, technology transfers, and joint cooperation on counterterrorism and regional security initiatives.
