The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has announced the immediate suspension of all defence and military cooperation with the Republic of Türkiye.
The decision was communicated in a press statement issued on Saturday by Colonel Chris Magezi, Acting Director of Defence Public Information at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs/UPDF.
According to Magezi, the suspension takes effect immediately and will remain in place until outstanding issues concerning defence and military cooperation between Uganda and Türkiye are resolved.
“The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has with immediate effect suspended all and any Defence and Military cooperation with the Republic of Türkiye,” the statement said.
The UPDF did not specify the particular outstanding issues behind the decision.
The announcement comes amid growing tensions between Uganda and Türkiye in recent days, including a dispute over Ugandan government critic Fred Kajubi Lumbuye, who is based in Türkiye.
On Friday, September 18, supporters of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) marched towards the Turkish Embassy in Kampala, demanding that Türkiye hand Lumbuye over to Ugandan authorities. The demonstration followed calls by UPDF Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
The latest military decision also comes just two days after President Yoweri Museveni met Turkish Ambassador to Uganda Mehmet Fatih Ak on the sidelines of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kampala Storage Terminal in Mpigi. The meeting reportedly focused on matters of bilateral interest, although no further details were released.
Despite the current tensions, Uganda and Türkiye maintain diplomatic relations, with the Turkish Embassy in Kampala also hosting a military attaché responsible for defence-related matters.
The UPDF statement did not indicate how long the suspension would last beyond saying that cooperation could resume once the outstanding issues between the two sides are resolved.
