President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has received credentials from four newly accredited Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Uganda.
The Ambassadors presented their letters of credence to His Excellency the President on Friday, August 2, 2024, at State House, Entebbe.
The four Ambassadors include H.E. Amokrane Mourad, the Algerian Ambassador to Uganda; H.E. Joash Arthur Maangi, the Kenyan Ambassador to Uganda; H.E. Frederieke Quispel, the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Uganda; and H.E. Mahlaba Almon Mamba, the High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Eswatini to Uganda.
President Museveni welcomed the Ambassadors to Uganda and promised to work with them to strengthen cooperation between Uganda and their respective countries.
H.E. Maangi extended greetings from the President of Kenya, H.E. William Ruto, to President Museveni, noting that the two countries are long-term partners in many aspects, including trade.
Ambassador Maangi also informed President Museveni about some of the key issues he will focus on during his tenure in Uganda. These include resolving the problem of fishing on Migingo Island, where several Kenyans have found themselves on the wrong side of the law for using substandard fishing gear, addressing the issue of nomadism among the West Pokot and Turkana in Uganda, and eliminating trade barriers at the border posts of Malaba and Busia to enhance business between the two countries.
He also commended President Museveni for his passion for intra-African trade.
President Museveni re-emphasized the importance of East African integration, stating it is the only solution to prosperity, especially through trade.
“I’m worried about the African race. Yesterday, I was telling the President of Gabon that the past leaders here made ideological, strategic, and philosophical mistakes that have harmed many countries in Africa, especially in understanding where prosperity comes from,” H.E. Museveni said, adding that sustainable prosperity comes from wealth creation, which involves producing goods or services and selling them.
“My tribe comprises people who sell milk as a commodity. They also have other commodities like beef and bananas, but they don’t buy from one another because they have the same products. Other Ugandans who are not in the milk industry are the ones who buy the milk, beef, and bananas from my tribe. So, we are challenging those who claim that identity is more important than interest,” Gen. Museveni elaborated, adding that since tribe, religion, or Uganda alone are insufficient for the prosperity of Ugandans, they need to be Pan-Africanists and sell to neighboring countries.
Regarding fishing, the President was pleased that Kenya has taken an interest in streamlining the economic activity, suggesting a common position should be agreed upon between partner states.
“I’m glad that you have brought this up. We are going to have a common position,” H.E. Museveni said.
Welcoming the Algerian Ambassador to Uganda, President Museveni was pleased to hear that Algeria is in advanced stages of importing Ugandan products, especially milk, tea, and coffee.
“I thank the government of Algeria for taking up these efforts. We have had a long relationship with Algeria as freedom fighters of Africa,” President Museveni said.
In turn, Ambassador Amokrane Mourad delivered greetings from H.E. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the President of Algeria, to President Museveni and expressed readiness to strengthen relations between the two countries.
“The people of Algeria recognize you as one of the remaining distinguished Pan Africanists and a great friend of Algeria,” Ambassador Amokrane said.
Regarding the Western Sahara conflict, President Museveni informed the Algerian Ambassador that Uganda’s position, like the rest of the progressive countries, remains unchanged from what was agreed upon at the Organization of African Unity (OAU) meeting in 1963 in Addis Ababa.
“They said our borders were poorly drawn, but let us recognize them as they are to avoid further conflicts. If you want to integrate, you can do so, like we in East Africa, which is very straightforward.
In 1964, Zanzibar and Tanganyika agreed to unite and form Tanzania, and therefore it’s not right for Morocco to recognize it differently,” H.E. Museveni said, giving an example of parts of Uganda that were demarcated to belong to other regions like Eastern Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania, but Uganda continues to respect those boundaries to maintain harmony in the region.
The new Eswatini High Commissioner to Uganda, H.E. Mahlaba Almon Mamba, who is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, conveyed greetings from King Mswati III, who is looking forward to his upcoming visit to Uganda.
“It’s always a pleasure coming to Uganda, a home away from home. We have identified some projects that we can work on together, and the king has instructed me to explore more ways of partnership with Uganda, especially in manufacturing,” Ambassador Mamba said.
He also congratulated President Museveni and Uganda on winning the bid to host the African Humanitarian Agency during the 45th Session of the African Union Executive Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs held in Accra, Ghana, from July 18th to 19th, 2024.
The African Humanitarian Agency is a Specialized Technical Agency of the African Union responsible for coordinating and providing humanitarian responses in collaboration with affected Member States.
The evaluation exercise awarded Uganda 85.66%, Equatorial Guinea 76.70%, Nigeria 74.50%, and Kenya 76.13%.
According to President Museveni, Uganda was selected for its clear and open refugee policy and for being the largest refugee-hosting country on the African Continent, with an established legal and institutional framework.
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