Uganda has suspended its military ties with Germany, citing accusations against the German ambassador of engaging in activities deemed subversive to the state.
Army spokesperson Chris Magezi made the announcement on Sunday via a post on X, stating that all defence collaboration between the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and Germany would cease immediately.
“The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has, with immediate effect, suspended all ongoing defence and military cooperation activities with the Federal Republic of Germany,” Magezi said.
The army’s decision appears to follow an earlier statement issued on Friday, which accused certain European diplomatic missions of backing “negative and traitorous groups” working against the Ugandan government. Among them, German ambassador Mathias Schauer was explicitly named.
Magezi explained that the military cooperation freeze was prompted by intelligence suggesting that Schauer was involved in destabilising actions within Uganda.
“Credible intelligence reports that current German Ambassador to Uganda His Excellency Mathias Schauer is actively engaged in subversive activities in the country,” he stated.
He added that the suspension would continue “until the full resolution of the matter of the Ambassador’s involvement with hostile pseudo-political-military forces operating in the country against the Ugandan government.”
Magezi confirmed the military’s decision to AFP but did not elaborate on the intelligence or specify the nature of the alleged subversive activities.
As of now, the German embassy in Uganda has not issued a public response to the accusations.
This diplomatic fallout comes amid growing criticism from the international community regarding Uganda’s suppression of political opposition, particularly in the lead-up to the country’s presidential election scheduled in seven months.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of President Yoweri Museveni and widely regarded as his likely successor, has become known for inflammatory social media posts and controversial remarks.
He recently claimed to have abducted and tortured the bodyguard of Uganda’s main opposition leader.
Ugandan media outlets also reported that European envoys, including Ambassador Schauer, held a meeting with President Museveni’s brother in which Schauer allegedly criticised Kainerugaba’s online conduct.
The broader implications of the suspension remain unclear, but the two nations have traditionally maintained a steady diplomatic relationship.
The German embassy previously described bilateral ties with Uganda as being based on “stability and trust.”
Schauer, who has served as Germany’s ambassador to Uganda since 2020, oversees a relationship that includes approximately $335 million in bilateral trade, with Uganda importing goods such as “machinery and chemical products,” according to German embassy figures.
