Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Representative to the United Nations, met Thursday Aug. 04, 2022 with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Entebbe, Uganda. (Credit: USAmbUN /Twitter)

By Atwine Allen    –    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES  Correspondent

KAMPALA  –  UGANDA  –    The average Ugandan is a bit mystified by the back-to-back visits to Uganda of Russia’s top diplomat Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.  The Russian foreign minister visited Uganda’s President Museveni last week. The UN ambassador held talks with Museveni this week.  “Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield met today with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and they discussed a broad range of global issues and regional security challenges, including  efforts to help mitigate the effect of Russia’s war on Ukraine on global food security and commodity prices,”  according to  release from the US Mission to the UN Office. 

It has been one week since Russia’s top diplomat visited Uganda, followed by the US ambassador to the UN. The diplomats say they came here in Uganda on the same cause which is Ukraine.  But to average Ugandans it is still a mystery about what exactly these two countries want.  Some say on the surface it  looks as if the U.S. and Russia are competing in a new Cold War.  And some others feel that maybe the president of Uganda is trying to create deals with both countries.  But right at this moment, most Ugandans don’t know exactly what is happening behind the scenes with the two super powers.   

DIPLOMATIC  TIMES  VIDEO –  Ugandans don’t know exactly what is happening behind the scenes with the two super powers  -U.S. and Russia – fierce interest in Uganda. 

 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni (R) shaking hands during a meeting in Entebbe, Uganda, 26 July 2022. Lavrov is on a working visit to Uganda. ( EPA-EFE/RUSSIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY HANDOUT)

Uganda Museveni praised Russia as a partner in a century-long struggle against colonialism 

Last week, President Museveni made note of his participation in student demonstrations against the infamous crushing over the Prague Spring by the USSR in 1968 to show that Africa will critisize Moscow for errors in judgment.  President Museveni said “rivalry” between the US and Russia “is not part of our liberation strategy”.  

Ambassador Says U.S. Wants to Strengthen Relationship with Uganda 

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield,  U.S. Representative to the United Nations (US Mission to UN)

The main message of Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield while in Uganda is that the U.S. is not trying to compete with Russian and force Ugandans to make a choice between the two super powers. She said the U.S. wants to strengthen its relationship with Uganda.  Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield stressed to the effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine on the availability of food and on oil prices.

The U.S. diplomat announced $20 million in development assistance to Uganda, aimed at helping smallholder farmers adopt improved agricultural practices.

Here is some of what the U.S. Ambassador to the UN said while in Uganda this week: 

“I am sure that’s what Foreign Minister Lavrov was here to do. But we have a very strong, abiding relationship with Uganda. This is not my first visit to Uganda; it will not be my last visit to Uganda. And I will tell you that my trip has been in the planning for quite some time. It just happened, coincidentally, to fall after the Lavrov visit. Uganda and any African country have the right to choose who their friends are and who their enemies are. We’re here as Uganda’s friend.”

-Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield,  U.S. Representative to United Nations

U.S. Ambassador Says Africa Risks Penalties For  Buying  Russian Oil 

Some political observers  predicted discussions between the U.S. Ambassador  and  President Museveni  could prove awkward given the fact the Ugandan leader had just  warmly embraced a top diplomat from a country the US has sanctioned again and again amid the Ukraine war.  However, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said  “we have no sanctions on any agricultural products coming out of Russia. Russia can export their agricultural products and countries can buy Russian agricultural products, including fertilizer and wheat.”    However,  Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield stressed that as for the oil sanctions on Russia the U.S. has imposed,  “if a country decides to engage with Russia where there are sanctions, then they are breaking those sanctions; they’re breaking our sanctions and in some cases they’re breaking UN sanctions with other countries, and we caution countries not to break those sanctions because then, if they do, they stand the chance of having actions taken against them for breaking those sanctions.”

Is President Museveni Using Russia To Stay in Power  For Life?

President Museveni is loved by many Ugandans, but some are losing their trust in him especially when he removed the age limit for presidential candidates.

In 2018, the 71-year-old President Museveni signed a law that scrapped a 75-year age cap for presidential candidates, a move critics say will allow him to remain in power indefinitely.

Some believe President Museveni doesn’t want to leave power,  and that he will looking to Russia to assist him with war equipment when that time comes when he may be pressured to leave office by a potential mass opposition movement. In 2011, President Museveni purchased six Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter jets  from Russia despite protest from government officials. Each jet costs nearly $800  US Million.  Many Ugandans feel the president is wasting tax payers money buying nearly $1 billion in weapons from Russia rather than spending that to  help Ugandans. 

Uganda President Museveni Accused of Gross Human Rights Violations

Museveni, 77, has ruled Uganda for 34 years despite increased public anger over corruption, human rights violations and poor social services.  According to Human Rights Watch,  there was a marked deterioration in Uganda’s human rights environment over the past year. President Museveni was re-elected in January 2021 in a general election marred by widespread abuses. Security forces arbitrarily arrested and beat opposition supporters and journalists, killed protesters, and disrupted opposition rallies.  The authorities in Uganda restricted right to freedom of movement and assembly, in particular for political opposition leaders, and violated rights to freedoms of association and expression, as security forces beat and at times arbitrarily detained journalists and opposition members, according to Human Rights Watch.