Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has broken his silence on the ongoing Middle East conflict, calling for restraint, mutual recognition, and principled diplomacy between Israel and Iran. In a detailed statement released as Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Museveni outlined a historical and moral perspective on the crisis, cautioning against identity chauvinism, religious fundamentalism, and foreign military interventions.
Responding to concerns raised by the Iranian Ambassador to Uganda about Uganda’s perceived silence, Museveni emphasized that Uganda maintains good relations with both Israel and Iran, as well as with other global powers including the United States.
Museveni criticized four key “mistake-makers” in the conflict:
- Iranian Islamists – He denounced the view that Israel is an illegitimate “transplant” in the Middle East, asserting that the Jewish historical claim to the region is rooted in biblical and historical context. He recalled how even British imperialists once proposed Uganda as a Jewish homeland in 1924, a suggestion the Jews rightfully rejected in favor of their ancestral land.
- Israeli Leadership – Museveni questioned Israel’s refusal to implement a two-state solution, arguing that Palestinians also have a legitimate claim to the land. Drawing parallels to Africa’s own history, he likened Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights to the logic used by former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in expelling Indians from Uganda.
- Western Powers – He held the U.S. and its allies responsible for inflaming tensions, particularly citing the 1953 CIA-backed coup in Iran that ousted Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. According to Museveni, such foreign meddling fueled the rise of clerical regimes and fundamentalist ideologies.
- Use of External Force – The Ugandan leader warned against military interventions by outside powers, citing historical failures in Europe and beyond. “Force should be for legitimate defence and not for aggression,” he stressed.
Museveni urged both Iran and Israel to reconsider their hardline stances. “Iran and the Islamists should recognize Israel,” he said, “and Israel should implement the two-state solution.”
He concluded with a spiritual appeal, urging global leaders to humble themselves in prayer and seek divine guidance: “Only [God] has the power, the right, and the justice to decide what is the way forward for all of us.”
Museveni, who leads NAM until 2027, has positioned himself as a voice of reason among non-aligned nations, promoting diplomacy over confrontation in global geopolitics.
Written By Rodney Mbua
