An East African President has taken with him, the First Son, to Russia where he will among others attend the second Africa-Russia summit set for July, 27 and 28 in St. Petersburg.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the African President was accompanied by his son who is also doubles as a Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations.
Whereas the exact reason for taking with him is not clear, those in the corridors of power say this is part of the wider strategy by this leader who has ruled his country for over 37 years to introduce his son to the much needed super power allies , should the political succession equation mature.
The son has previously shown his dying love and interest in Russia.
For example in March, at the peak of the Russia-Ukraine war, he tweeted and vowed to send troops to Moscow to defend Russia President Vladmir Putin.
“Call me a Putinist if you want, Uganda should send soldiers to defend Moscow if ever it was threatened by imperialists,” he wrote on Twitter.
“The West is wasting its time with useless pro-Ukrainian propaganda.”.
Just last month, the military son met Russian Ambassador to Uganda, Vladlen Semivolos with whom they discussed matters about strong bilateral relations and reviewed the bi country military-technical cooperation agreement.
The trip
From Russia, the African President will head to Serbia to launch an experiential trade, tourism, and investment hub dubbed Uganda connect.
The hub has been set up in Belgrade and is intended to create opportunities for export promotion for Ugandans and will be officially launched the president.
During his time in Serbia, the leader is also expected to extend an invitation to the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, to attend the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) conference scheduled for January next year.
It is worth noting that Serbia, then known as Yugoslavia, played a significant role in the founding and operations of NAM alongside Ghana, India, Egypt, and Indonesia.
As part of Uganda’s regional security concerns, sources within the Ministry of Defense have indicated constraints in accessing arms.
The African President might take advantage of his presence in Serbia to negotiate for arms, considering that NATO has fully booked all arms factories across Europe for the next three years in support of Ukraine during the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Uganda is facing security challenges within the region, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) due to the presence ADF forces in Eastern DRC.
The UPDF is still deployed in the area and requires additional weaponry for ongoing operations.
Additionally, there are uncertainties in Somalia, where the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia(ATMIS)has been undergoing a drawdown of troops since 2022.
The potential departure of US and UN troops from Somalia adds to the complexities.
Considering Uganda’s location amidst these security challenges, it may have to employ diplomatic efforts to acquire the necessary arms, as securing weapons from abroad may prove challenging due to the current demand from NATO’s support to Ukraine.
These missions and security concerns underscore the importance of addressing Uganda’s need for resources, including weapons, to safeguard regional stability and security effectively.