Uganda’s top military commander has hinted at the possibility of the country’s armed forces joining the conflict in Iran on the side of Israel. This follows a series of viral social media statements made earlier this week.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni and widely seen as his potential successor, has been actively expressing his support for Israel on the platform X.
In one of his posts, he declared, “We stand with Israel because we are Christians,” and in another, he stated, “Uganda is the David that the world forgot and overlooked. We will defeat the giant, Goliath.”
Kainerugaba initiated his social media campaign with a post saying, “We want the war in the Middle East to end now. The world is tired of it. But any talk of destroying or defeating Israel will bring us into the war. On the side of Israel!”
Uganda’s military, known as the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF), comprises 45,000 active personnel and has about 35,000 reserves, according to the defense ministry. The nation possesses roughly 240 tanks and over 1,000 armored fighting vehicles.
Uganda is also significantly engaged in military operations in regions plagued by conflict. Its forces are part of the African Union mission fighting against the al-Shabab militants in Somalia. Additionally, Ugandan troops are active in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) combatting the ADF terrorist group linked to the Islamic State.
While Iran is not known to have any interests in Uganda, it has been accused of covert operations in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, including the running of smuggling networks and making controversial diplomatic and economic outreach with questionable motives throughout the region. Although landlocked, Uganda is said to be wary of Iran’s strategic interest in gaining a presence in the regional waters of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.
Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) attends his military decoration ceremony at the Bombo Military Barracks, in Bombo, Luweero District, Uganda Oct. 10, 2022. (Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters)
In another post he stated, “Israel stood with us when we were nobodies in the 1980s and 1990s. Why wouldn’t we defend her now that our GDP is $100 billion? One of the largest in Africa.”
Israel has historically trained Ugandan forces, including the general. It is understood that Uganda maintains a strong strategic partnership with Israel, with close security and intelligence ties.
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from the city of Ashkelon, Israel, Oct. 9, 2023. (Amir Cohen/Reuters)
It wasn’t always like this. In 1976, with dictator Idi Amin aggressively opposing Israel, four terrorists hijacked Air France Flight 139 on its way from Tel Aviv to France. The plane was diverted to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. During the night of July 3, 1976, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) mounted a long-range rescue mission, originally codenamed Operation Thunderbolt, to rescue 106 mostly Israeli hostages being held.
The mission was retroactively renamed Operation Yonatan after the mission’s leader, Lt. Col. Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu, the elder brother of the current Israeli Prime Minister, was killed by a Ugandan sniper during the raid. The Israeli soldiers pulled off a successful rescue, but four hostages, seven hijackers and 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed.
Kainerugaba announced that in a further gesture of goodwill toward Israel, he intends to have a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu erected at the exact spot in Entebbe’s airport where he fell. This week, Kainerugaba posted a photo of the statue on X, dubbing it “a sneak peek.”
