President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on Somali political leaders and citizens to build an uncompromising united front against Al-Shabaab, warning that sectarian divisions and political miscalculations continue to obstruct lasting stability in the Horn of Africa.
President Museveni delivered the assessment during bilateral talks with the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who was on an official working visit to State House, Entebbe.
The bilateral discussions centered on the security transition in Somalia, joint counter-insurgency operations against Al-Shabaab militants, and expanding direct commercial trade links between Kampala and Mogadishu.
President Museveni observed that Somalia’s protracted crisis stems from structural ideological flaws and sectarian governance models, drawing comparisons to historical conflicts in Sudan where exclusionary politics fractured national unity.
“The problem of Somalia is ideological and a misdiagnosis of problems,” President Museveni said. “All the problems you’re talking about, we know them. We need to be organised and stand with the main problem. Unite the many to defeat the few, but some Africans want to annoy the many to stay with the few.”
President Mohamud briefed his host on the security situation across frontline sectors and commended the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) for their pivotal contributions under African Union-led peace support operations.
Highlighting the critical stabilization phase under the transition framework, President Mohamud requested Uganda’s armed forces to maintain their deployment in Somalia longer to consolidate operational gains, pacify liberated zones, and protect state institutions.
The Somali head of state also expressed appreciation for Uganda’s hospitality toward Somali nationals, citing favorable conditions that enable thousands of Somalis to reside, study, and invest freely in Uganda.
Somalia’s Ambassador to Uganda, Fardowsa Mohamed Qanyare, reported that approximately 8,000 Somali entrepreneurs actively manage registered businesses in Uganda, while an estimated 15,000 Somali students are currently enrolled across various Ugandan tertiary institutions.
On the commercial front, both leaders agreed to fast-track economic integration to complement existing security cooperation, focusing on securing direct market access for Ugandan agricultural products.
President Museveni welcomed Somalia’s approval for Uganda to establish a dedicated commercial warehouse in Mogadishu to store, market, and distribute value-added Ugandan coffee.
The initiative follows market observations shared by Ugandan private sector representative Nelson Tugume, who recently visited Mogadishu and revealed that Somalia currently relies on European re-exporters for roasted coffee, with Ugandan beans routed through third-party intermediaries before reaching Somali consumers.
Establishing a direct supply chain and dedicated warehouse infrastructure will eliminate costly middlemen, lower retail prices for Somali consumers, and ensure Ugandan coffee farmers retain greater export margins.
The high-level meeting was attended by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hon. Haruna Kasolo, Minister of State for Defence and Veteran Affairs Hon. Huda Abason Oleru, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire, and Uganda’s Ambassador to Somalia Prof. Sam Tulya-Muhika.
