Latest news with #MatthiasSchauer
First Post
28-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Uganda Ends Military Ties with Germany Over Spy Claims
Uganda Ends Military Ties with Germany Over Spy Claims | N18G Uganda Ends Military Ties with Germany Over Spy Claims | N18G Uganda has suspended all military cooperation with Germany, accusing Berlin's ambassador, Matthias Schauer, of engaging in 'subversive activities' and being 'wholly unqualified' to serve in the country. The move follows reports that the ambassador criticized Uganda's controversial army chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba — the president's son — during a private meeting with EU diplomats. Germany has strongly denied the accusations, calling them baseless. This marks a sharp diplomatic rift between the two nations and raises concerns about Uganda's internal politics, growing authoritarianism, and its strained relations with Western allies. What does this mean for Uganda's global ties and regional influence? See More
Russia Today
27-05-2025
- General
- Russia Today
African state suspends defense ties with Germany
Uganda has suspended defense cooperation with Germany in response to the latter's ambassador allegedly being involved with hostile groups said to be working against the East African country's government. Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesperson Chris Magezi announced the decision in an official statement posted on the army's website on Monday, citing 'credible intelligence reports' as the basis. 'His Excellency Matthias Schauer is actively engaged in subversive activities in the country,' the statement read. 'The suspension will remain in force 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 added. Schauer, who has served as Germany's envoy to Uganda since 2020, has not publicly responded to the allegations. However, the EU state has reportedly rejected the accusations. According to Reuters, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry called the claims 'absurd and without any merit' and rejected them 'in the strongest terms.' The UPDF statement did not specify the groups in question or detail the nature of the alleged misconduct. According to local media reports, the accusations came after the ambassador privately protested to Presidential Advisor on Defense and Security General Salim Saleh, about 'threatening' social media posts by Uganda's military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Earlier this month, Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni, warned that the EU was 'playing with fire' after a group of EU diplomats met with senior members of the opposition National Unity Platform party. Germany has engaged in defense-related cooperation across Africa, often involving training and security support, although specific details of its military ties with Uganda have not been made public. The spokesperson for the German Foreign Office said there is no formalized military cooperation between Berlin and Kampala, cited by Reuters. Ugandan troops are part of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, which receives partial funding from the EU. Kampala has in recent months expressed increased concern about what it calls foreign interference in domestic affairs, warning of covert support for opposition actors by international missions. The diplomatic fallout adds to a broader pattern of tension between Western powers and African governments. Several countries in the region – particularly in the Sahel – have also cut defense ties with France, accusing it of aggression and meddling in their internal affairs.
Associated Press
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Ugandan military accuses EU diplomats of engaging in subversive activities
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Ugandan military authorities on Friday accused diplomats from Europe of engaging in subversive activities, in an escalation of tensions over European criticism of human rights violations by Uganda's security forces. Some European diplomats are mobilizing on behalf 'the negative and traitorous groups opposed' to the government of President Yoweri Museveni, the military said in a statement. The statement singled out the German ambassador, Matthias Schauer, charging that 'the intelligence services are aware about his clearly undiplomatic practices that have been taking place in different parts of the country for some time now.' That statement was issued by Col. Chris Magezi, a close associate of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the president's son who also serves as Uganda's top military commander. Kainerugaba's military rise has been a source of concern among Ugandans who believe he is poised to take over from Museveni in a chaotic political transition. Kainerugaba frequently asserts his wish to succeed his father as president of the east African country, alarming Ugandans who don't want to see hereditary rule. Kainerugaba has gained notoriety most recently for his unpredictable posts on the social platform X. He has threatened to behead Bobi Wine, a prominent opposition figure, and he drew widespread criticism earlier this month for reporting the apparent torture in his 'basement' of Wine's bodyguard, who was missing at the time. Schauer, the German ambassador, is among a group of European diplomats who complained about Kainerugaba in a meeting on Thursday with Gen. Salim Saleh, a retired army officer who is Kainerugaba's uncle and an influential member of Uganda's security apparatus. Saleh apologized for Kainerugaba's provocative posts on X, according to reports in the local press. The strong response from Kainerugaba's press office on Friday marks an escalation in relations between the Ugandan government and diplomats it accuses of meddling. It was not immediately possible to get a comment from Schauer or Jan Sadek, the top EU diplomat in Uganda. The EU has repeatedly urged Ugandan authorities to protect civil liberties ahead of presidential elections next year. Sadek has expressed concern over serious rights violations that include arbitrary detentions and the degrading treatment of political opponents. He spoke of 'an alarming militarization of the political sphere' in a speech earlier in May. 'The use of military force against civilians, with apparent impunity, contradicts the principles of the rule of law,' he said. Museveni, who first took power by force in 1986, is serving his sixth term. He will seek re-election in polls set for January 2026. Many Ugandans expect an unpredictable political transition because the 80-year-old Museveni has no obvious successor within the ranks of the ruling National Resistance Movement party, with real power concentrated in a strong military and powerful intelligence system. Some observers fear that Museveni may step aside in favor of Kainerugaba in a bloodless coup. A long-time opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, has been jailed since November over alleged treason charges his lawyers say are politically motivated. Besigye, a qualified physician who retired from Uganda's military at the rank of colonel, is a former president of the Forum for Democratic Change party, for many years Uganda's most prominent opposition group. Uganda has never witnessed a peaceful transfer of political power since independence from the British in 1962.
