On this day in 2003, President Museveni met US President George W. Bush in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, in a meeting that highlighted the growing partnership between Uganda and the United States.
The talks came at a significant moment for both countries. Just weeks earlier, Bush had signed into law the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, commonly known as PEPFAR, a groundbreaking $15 billion initiative aimed at combating HIV/AIDS around the world.
During their joint appearance before reporters, Bush praised Uganda's efforts in fighting the epidemic, pointing to the country's ABC approach, abstain, be faithful and use condoms, as an example that had helped shape the American programme. Museveni welcomed the support, saying the funding would provide a major boost to efforts against HIV/AIDS across Africa.
Security was also high on the agenda. In the years following the September 11 attacks, Uganda had emerged as one of Washington's key allies in East Africa. Bush thanked Museveni for Uganda's support in the global fight against terrorism.
Museveni, who had led an armed struggle before becoming president, used the occasion to draw a distinction between liberation movements and terrorism.
"We fought with guns for the freedom of our countries. I fought for many years, but I've never used terrorist means. Freedom fighting is not the same thing as terrorism. If you must use violence, you should assure that violence is targeted at the combatants, not at the noncombatants."
The Ugandan leader also used the meeting to champion economic growth through trade rather than long-term dependence on aid.
He praised the African Growth and Opportunity Act, known as AGOA, for opening American markets to African exports and welcomed the Millennium Challenge Account initiative. Museveni argued that Africa's future prosperity depended on adding value to its abundant raw materials and gaining greater access to international markets, summarising his view with the phrase: "Aid should aid in order to trade."
The White House meeting proved to be more than a symbolic diplomatic encounter. It laid the groundwork for a deeper partnership between the two countries and was quickly followed by Bush's historic visit to Uganda a month later.
On July 11, 2003, Bush travelled to Entebbe, where he met Museveni and visited the The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) centre, witnessing firsthand the public health programmes that had become a model in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
