By Spy Uganda
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on leaders in the Middle East to draw lessons from Uganda’s turbulent political history, warning that sectarian and identity-based politics risk worsening the ongoing tensions involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
Museveni made the remarks on Thursday evening during an Iftar dinner hosted for Ugandan Muslims at State House Entebbe. The gathering brought together scores of Muslim faithful and diplomatic representatives, including Iran’s ambassador to Uganda, Majid Saffar.
The Ugandan leader, who currently chairs the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), said the escalating conflict in the Middle East reflects the same type of divisive politics that once plunged Uganda into decades of instability.
“The whole problem starts with what we call chauvinism, when everybody thinks they are the most important. You can now see the destruction taking place,” Museveni said.
Earlier in the day, Ambassador Saffar had urged Uganda, in its role as NAM chair, to publicly address what he described as the invasion of Iran by the United States and Israel.
Museveni revealed that over the years he has privately engaged several leaders from the region, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Iranian presidents Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ebrahim Raisi and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
According to the President, he previously advised Iranian leaders to recognize Israel as a sovereign state as a step toward achieving a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“I asked them why they don’t recognise Israel. They said Israel is a transplant in the Middle East. But I pointed out that Jews, Persians, Medians and Palestinians are all mentioned in the Bible and belong in the Middle East,” Museveni explained.
At the same time, he said he challenged Netanyahu on Israel’s reluctance to fully embrace the two-state solution, while also questioning the reliance on military force by global powers.
“I turned to Netanyahu, a good friend of mine, and asked him why he does not support the two-state solution. Then to the Americans I asked: why the use of force in this area?” he said.
Museveni drew parallels between the Middle East crisis and Uganda’s political past, noting that the country nearly collapsed due to identity-based politics during the early years after independence.
He cited the 1962 elections when parties such as the Democratic Party, Uganda People’s Congress and Kabaka Yekka mobilised supporters along religious, ethnic and regional lines.
“That was the poison that almost destroyed Uganda. None of them could win a majority and we went into war from then through the 1980s,” Museveni said.
He added that Uganda eventually overcame the crisis after reform movements began promoting what he described as the “politics of interests” instead of sectarian divisions.
“When you see the suffering in the Middle East, these are consequences of the politics of identity. That area is very rich but politics is disturbing it,” he said.
The President also called on global powers to prioritise economic cooperation and prosperity rather than conflict, arguing that shared growth benefits all nations.
“If you are a smart businessperson, why would you want to trade with a poor man? Global affluence will benefit everybody,” Museveni noted.
Museveni concluded by urging the international community to work toward justice, stability and shared prosperity across the world.
“I would like to use this Ramadhan to call upon the people of the world to work for justice everywhere and global affluence,” he said.
