Uganda has announced the immediate suspension of all military cooperation with Germany, accusing the German ambassador of working against the country’s interests.
The spokesperson for the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, Chris Magezi, made the announcement on Sunday, May 25, through a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
Magezi said the suspension followed “credible intelligence reports” that the German ambassador to Uganda, Mathias Schauer, was involved in “subversive activities”.
He said, “The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has, with immediate effect, suspended all ongoing defence and military cooperation activities with the Federal Republic of Germany.”
“This is in response to credible intelligence reports that the current German Ambassador to Uganda, His Excellency Mathias Schauer, is actively engaged in subversive activities in the country.”
He added that the suspension would stay in place “until the full resolution of the matter of the ambassador’s involvement with hostile pseudo-political-military forces operating in the country against the Ugandan government”.
Magezi did not provide further details but confirmed to AFP that the decision had been made.
The German embassy in Uganda has not commented publicly on the matter.
This development comes just days after Uganda’s army accused some European diplomats of supporting groups that oppose the government. In a statement released Friday, the army singled out Ambassador Schauer and accused European missions of backing “traitorous” organisations.
Human rights groups have raised concerns about Uganda’s treatment of political opponents ahead of the country’s presidential elections, which are expected in seven months.
President Yoweri Museveni’s son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is believed to be preparing to succeed his father, has also faced criticism for threatening opposition members. He recently claimed online that he abducted the bodyguard of an opposition leader and was torturing him—though these claims have not been independently verified.
Local reports say Schauer recently attended a meeting with other European diplomats and a brother of President Museveni. During the meeting, Schauer reportedly criticised General Kainerugaba’s frequent social media posts.
Germany and Uganda have enjoyed a long-standing relationship described as one of “stability and trust” by the German embassy. Bilateral trade between both countries was worth about \$335 million last year, with Uganda importing machinery and chemical products from Germany.
Ambassador Schauer has served in Uganda since 2020. It remains unclear how the suspension of military cooperation will affect overall relations between the two countries.
