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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged military officers to defend the country and avoid identity politics, which he said not only undermines national unity but is also responsible for the failure of state institutions such as the military.
Gen. Museveni, in an opportunity speech to officers of the Senior Command and Staff College, Kimaka, at the Presidential Palace in Entebbe on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, reiterated that identity politics continues to undermine the prosperity of many African countries and should be stopped.
“You have seen what happened in countries like Sudan, which had great potential but the leaders messed it up with identity politics, there was a conflict between those who called themselves Arabs or Africans and Islamic groups who were against Christianity. Sudan was divided. Now you go to Juba, goods there come from East African countries like Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, but in the past, most of the goods came from Khartoum, but the Sudanese leaders destroyed their markets with identity politics,” said President Museveni, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
He also told the delegation of 77 military officers that ethnic and racial politics had become a big problem in the past, with some leaders such as Idi Amin even expelling Asians, leading to economic collapse.
“When we were in power, we returned their properties. Now we have about 900 factories built by these Indians. This year Uganda’s economy has grown by 6 percent and will continue to grow. Identity politics is wrong politics and in Uganda we reject it,” he pointed out, adding that despite the growth of Uganda’s economy, the internal market for products is not enough.
“We need the East African market, and the market across Africa, to ensure our prosperity. That is why, besides patriotism – love for Uganda, our second principle is pan-Africanism. So, we consider ethnic politics to be backward.”
On security, President Museveni stressed that many African countries have failed to build strong state institutions like the military because they are subject to infiltration and ethnic-based divisions.
His Excellency Museveni pointed out: “We faced this problem when Idi Amin and others were in power.”
Regarding the security situation in eastern DRC, the President stressed that even foreign troops would not be able to make much difference if identity politics were not resolved.
According to the Director of the Senior Command and Staff College, Kimaka, Major General George Igunba, the delegation consists of 77 officers, of which 27 are faculty members and 50 are students.
The students include 13 foreign students; two from each of the East African Community member states, except the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia. Two students are from the Republic of South Africa, one student is from the Republic of Malawi, and 37 students are Ugandans. The students are scheduled to graduate tomorrow (Thursday, June 27, 2024).
“I am pleased to report to you that the academy has lived up to expectations in its 20 years of existence and we have made great strides in promoting the professionalization of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and the East African Community forces through professional military training and education. Since its inception in 2004, the academy has so far trained 726 officers from East African partner countries and the Republic of South Africa,” Major General Igunba told the President.
He added that the academy hopes to embark on an ambitious infrastructure development programme and in the long run, the academy’s intake will be increased to 100 at a time in the next 3 to 5 years, which will significantly reduce the backlog of untrained police officers at the Second Staff College.
Senior Command and Staff College (SCSC) Kimaka is Uganda’s premier military training institution that conducts operational level training for mid-level officers of the UPDF and officers from brotherly countries. The training aims to impart the officers with the necessary skills in military science as well as peacekeeping operations. It also aims to provide officers with a level of training that will enhance their analytical skills and enable them to adapt to the modern military environment.
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