Museveni Says Somalia’s Main Challenge Is Division, Urges Unity Against Al-Shabaab
ENTEBBE, Uganda — Somali unity is essential to defeating Al-Shabaab and restoring stability, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said Monday as he held talks with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on security cooperation and stronger trade ties.
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Museveni made the comments during a meeting with Mohamud at State House in Entebbe. Their discussions covered Somalia’s security crisis, the campaign against the Islamist insurgency and opportunities to deepen economic relations between the two countries.
“The problem of Somalia is ideological and a misdiagnosis of problems,” Museveni said, comparing the situation with challenges in other African countries, including Sudan, where sectarian approaches to governance have fueled political divisions.
“All the problems you’re talking about, we know them. We need to be organised and stand with the main problem,” he said.
“Unite the many to defeat the few, but some Africans want to annoy the many to stay with the few,” he added.
The Ugandan president underscored the importance of political organisation and collective action in confronting the forces threatening Somalia’s stability.
Mohamud briefed Museveni on developments in Somalia and commended the Uganda People’s Defence Forces for their role in supporting peace efforts. Ugandan troops have participated in African Union-led peace support missions in Somalia, working alongside Somali forces in the fight against Al-Shabaab.
The Somali president expressed gratitude for Uganda’s continued military assistance and said he hoped Ugandan troops would remain in Somalia longer as efforts continue to secure lasting stability.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida-linked militant group, continues its insurgency against Somalia’s federal government and security forces. Its attacks in Somalia have also made it a wider security threat across the region.
Mohamud also thanked Uganda for welcoming Somali nationals who live, study and conduct business in the country.
Somalia’s ambassador to Uganda, Fardowsa Mohamed Qanyare, told the meeting that approximately 8,000 Somalis run businesses in Uganda, while about 15,000 Somali students are enrolled at Ugandan universities.
Uganda seeks direct access for coffee exports. The leaders also considered ways to expand bilateral trade, with particular attention to improving access for Ugandan goods in Somalia.
Museveni welcomed Somalia’s decision to permit Uganda to set up a warehouse in the country to market and sell processed Ugandan coffee, according to an account of the meeting.
The proposed warehouse would provide Ugandan exporters with a more direct channel to Somali consumers and could lessen their dependence on intermediaries.
Nelson Tugume, who recently returned from Somalia, told the leaders that Somalia imports coffee from European countries, with Ugandan coffee reportedly moving through other markets before reaching Somali buyers.
The initiative is expected to strengthen commercial ties and open additional opportunities for trade and investment between Uganda and Somalia.
The meeting was attended by Uganda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Haruna Kasolo; Minister of State for Defence and Veteran Affairs, Huda Abason Oleru; Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire; and Uganda’s ambassador to Somalia, Sam Tulya-Muhika.
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