US President Biden sends "special message" to Museveni

President Yoweri Museveni has received a special message from his US counterpart, Joe Biden, the State House has said.

The message was delivered by US Ambassador to Uganda, Natalie Brown who also  held a meeting with Museveni at State House , Entebbe on Tuesday.

“I had a meeting with the US Ambassador to Uganda, H.E Natalie Brown, accompanied by Amb. Adonia Ayebare. We discussed issues of mutual interest. She also delivered to me a special message from H.E Joe Biden, the President of the United States of America,”Museveni tweeted.

According to the Senior Presidential Press Secretary, Linda Nabusayi, the two discussed regional and international issues.

The development comes barely a week after President Museveni, who was swearing –in for a sixth term at Kololo independence grounds confronted the West for always meddling in Africa’s affairs.

He revealed that he together with then South African President Jacob Zuma clandestinely wanted to counter the West for their invasion of  Libya in 2011 that later saw the overthrow and ultimate killing of Muammar Gadafi.

“When some actors started attacking Libya against the decision of the African Union, I contacted H.E. Jacob Zuma of South Africa for African armies, that so decided, to intervene in Libya and confront and teach a lesson to those aggressors,” Museveni said on Wednesday.

“We were let down by Muammar Gaddafi who abandoned Tripoli (the Libyan capital) without a fight. Although, at that time, I did not have direct link with Muammar Gaddafi, I advised his envoy who came to see me, to turn Tripoli into a Stalingrad.”

He insisted that the West is on several occasions looking for aggression against other weaker countries but noted that has never been the goal of Africa.

“We have no interest in fighting anybody except poverty and under-development in Africa, starting with Uganda.”

According to Museveni, he needs no lecturers about democracy from the West.

“I doubt there are many comparable pro-democratic structures in the world. It is therefore quite comic and laughable to hear some actors in the world giving us lectures about democracy. You give me lectures about democracy, what are you credentials,” Museveni wondered.

Relationship

The Ugandan president’s comments came on the backdrop of sanctions by the US government against several Ugandan security officials over violence in the just concluded elections in a development described by many as the latest in the fallout between the West and Museveni’s government.

The West has on several occasions accused the Ugandan government of human rights violations, clamping down on opposition politicians  and stifling democracy but on the other side,  Uganda has on several occasions accused the West  of interfering in the affairs of a sovereign country by trying to impose their views on Ugandans.

However, despite the spats between the two, Uganda is still one of the biggest allies of the US and the West at large in the fight against terrorism in the region.

The UPDF deployed in Somalia under the AMISOM has helped pacify the horn of African country to expel the Al Shabaab Islamic group linked to Al Quaeda from the capital Mogadishu.

The US with its troops had failed on pacifying Somalia until Uganda deployed in 2007.

Uganda also remains a key figure in the peace and stability of her neighbours in the region including South Sudan, and consequently is needed by the US if its efforts to ensure peace and stability in the world are to go by.