Uganda accuses German envoy of subversion, Berlin dubs claims 'absurd'
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Uganda suspends military cooperation with Germany, accusing Berlin’s ambassador of subversive activity.
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Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni photographed in Kenya's capital Nairobi, on February 11, 2020. (John Muchucha/AP)
Uganda's military has severed all defense cooperation with Germany, accusing the German ambassador to Kampala of engaging in "subversive activities" inside the East African nation.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) announced the decision on Sunday, citing what it described as credible intelligence implicating Ambassador Mathias Schauer.
“The Uganda People's Defence Forces has with immediate effect suspended all ongoing defence and military cooperation activities with the Federal Republic of Germany,” said UPDF spokesperson Chris Magezi in a statement posted on the X platform.
He added that the move came in response to intelligence indicating Schauer was "actively engaged in subversive activities in the country.”
Magezi did not provide specific details on the nature of the allegations or on the scope of existing military cooperation between Uganda and Germany. As of publication time, Germany’s embassy in Kampala had not responded to a Reuters request for comment.
Germany slams claims as 'absurd'
In response, Germany slammed the Ugandan accusations against its ambassador to Kampala as "absurd".
"The allegations on the part of the Ugandan military are absurd and have no basis whatsoever," German foreign ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer told reporters, adding, "We reject them absolutely."
Commenting on Uganda's suspension of defense and military cooperation activities, Deschauer said that "there is no formalised military cooperation with Uganda... so there is nothing to cancel."
Kainerugaba targets envoy personally
Ugandan military chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of President Yoweri Museveni and widely considered his political successor, also weighed in on the matter via X. “It has to do with him as a person. He is wholly unqualified to be in Uganda. It has nothing to do with the great German people,” Kainerugaba wrote.
Kainerugaba has a history of inflammatory social media posts, including previous threats directed at Western diplomats. His statement appeared to separate the German state from Schauer’s conduct, yet framed the ambassador as a destabilizing figure.
The decision to end UPDF-German cooperation comes amid growing friction between Uganda and the European Union. Uganda currently deploys troops to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which receives partial funding from the EU, including Germany. The impact of the UPDF’s decision on broader EU-supported operations remains unclear.
Earlier this month, Kainerugaba issued a warning to the EU, saying it was “playing with fire” after a delegation of European ambassadors held a meeting with Uganda’s main opposition party, the National Unity Platform, and its leader Bobi Wine.
The meeting angered the Ugandan government, which has grown increasingly wary of perceived foreign interference.
It is not only General MK. It is President Museveni, the government and the people of Uganda too. This is not a personal issue between me and the current US Ambassador, this is a national issue and you'll see that NO foreign country will ever dominate Uganda again! https://t.co/8QIT7Rdme2
— Muhoozi Kainerugaba (@mkainerugaba) October 4, 2024
Germany silent as accusations mount
Ambassador Schauer has yet to publicly respond to the accusations. Germany’s federal government has also made no official statement on the matter. The absence of comment leaves open questions about the credibility of the intelligence cited by the UPDF and whether the diplomatic standoff will escalate.
Uganda has in recent years hardened its stance toward Western criticism, and the rupture with Germany may signal a wider breakdown in military and diplomatic cooperation with European states critical of Kampala’s internal politics.
