Uganda’s military chief demands $100 billion from the US over Somalia losses

Saturday August 17, 2024

 
Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda's Chief of Defense Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, attends a military ceremony in Kampala, Uganda, in this undated photo. Dubbed the 'Tweeting General' for his outspoken views on social media, Gen. Muhoozi recently demanded $100 billion in compensation from the U.S. for Uganda's military involvement in Somalia.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Uganda’s Chief of Defense Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has made a bold demand for $100 billion in compensation from the United States, citing Uganda’s military contributions and losses in Somalia as justification. The demand was made in a series of posts on social media platform X.

“$100 billion is the minimum I demand from the USA. And they will pay every penny,” Muhoozi, who is also the son of Uganda’s longtime President Yoweri Museveni, stated in one post. “The USA owes at least $100 billion for our work in Somalia. We did a lot better than the people in Ukraine. It seems their specialty is running from Russians. We are waiting for payment.”

Uganda was the first East African nation to deploy troops to Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in 2007, playing a key role in supporting Somalia’s UN-backed government against the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militants. The Ugandan military, which has sustained considerable casualties, has been instrumental in stabilizing areas once controlled by militants, particularly in Mogadishu.

Muhoozi's demands come at a time of heightened tensions between Uganda and the United States, particularly following Uganda's removal from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which granted the country duty-free access to U.S. markets for over 1,800 products. 

"The USA must apologize to Uganda for removing us from AGOA," Muhoozi insisted. "We must immediately be reinstated. Then, we will talk about compensation for all the soldiers we lost in Somalia. On their orders."

The decision to exclude Uganda from AGOA, effective January 1, 2024, also included Gabon, Niger, and the Central African Republic. The decision cited "gross violations" of internationally recognized human rights.

The U.S. also recently imposed sanctions on Ugandan officials in response to the country's corruption and reports of extrajudicial killings, which has drawn condemnation from international human rights organizations. 

Gen. Muhoozi is no stranger to controversy. Often described as Uganda's "tweeting general," he has a history of making incendiary — and frequently nonsensical — statements on social media. In October 2022, he stirred an awkward international controversy by publicly offering 100 cows as a bride price for Giorgia Meloni, then on the verge of becoming Italy’s prime minister and threatening to conquer Rome if the offer was refused. He also threatened to invade Kenya and capture Nairobi, prompting his father, President Museveni, to issue an apology and remove Muhoozi from his role as the commander of Uganda’s land forces. However, he was reinstated and promoted to Chief of Defense Forces in March 2024.

Despite his controversial behaviour, Muhoozi remains a central figure in Uganda’s military and political landscape, with nearly a million followers on X.

His provocative demand for $100 billion and the ongoing tensions between Uganda and the United States raise questions about the future of Uganda’s foreign relations as the country heads toward its 2026 presidential elections, in which Muhoozi has already hinted at running.