Source: Goobjoog Media
KAMPALA — Uganda has suspended all defence and military cooperation with Turkey, citing unresolved issues between the two countries.
The decision was announced on September 19, 2026, by Colonel Chris Magezi, Acting Director of Defence Public Information at Uganda’s Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) did not disclose the specific disputes behind the decision or identify which military agreements and programmes would be affected.
The announcement comes amid growing tensions between Kampala and Ankara, particularly over Fred Lumbuye, a Ugandan critic of the government who is based in Turkey.
On September 18, supporters of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) demonstrated outside the Turkish Embassy in Kampala, calling on Turkey to hand Lumbuye over to Ugandan authorities.
Ugandan media have reported that General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the country’s Chief of Defence Forces, has been pressing Turkey over the issue. However, the UPDF statement announcing the suspension did not directly link the decision to Lumbuye’s case.
Uganda and Turkey have maintained defence ties for years, including military training, defence-industry cooperation, equipment, intelligence, logistics and other security-related activities.
The two countries signed a military cooperation agreement in 2016, establishing a framework covering military training, personnel exchanges, defence industries, intelligence, logistics, peacekeeping and counter-piracy operations.
The development could have implications for Somalia, where both Uganda and Turkey play significant roles in the security sector.
Uganda is one of the major troop-contributing countries to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and has maintained a military presence in Somalia through successive African Union missions.
Turkey, meanwhile, has developed a broad defence and security partnership with Somalia and operates the TURKSOM military training facility in Mogadishu, where Somali forces, including specialised units, receive training.
However, neither the Ugandan government nor the UPDF has indicated that Somalia or cooperation related to Somalia was a factor in the suspension.
