Uganda's military cuts ties with Germany over 'subversive' ambassador

Uganda's military has severed all military cooperation with Germany after it accused Berlin's ambassador to Kampala of involvement in "subversive activities" in the East African country, its spokesperson said.

"The Uganda People's Defence Forces has with immediate effect suspended all ongoing defence and military cooperation activities with the Federal Republic of Germany," UPDF spokesperson Chris Magezi said in a statement posted on X platform on Sunday.

The decision was "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", Magezi said.

He did not give details of those activities or details of any existing military cooperation between Uganda and Germany.

Germany's embassy in Kampala did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Uganda has its troops in the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, AUSSOM, which is partly funded by the EU, of which Germany is a member.

In a post on the X platform on Sunday, Uganda's military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba said the military was having problems with Schauer as a person.

"It has to do with him as a person. He is wholly unqualified to be in Uganda. It has nothing to do with the great German people," said Kainerugaba.

The spokesperson for Uganda's ministry of foreign affairs could not be reached for comment as her phone was switched off.

Kainerugaba, the son of President Yoweri Museveni and widely seen as heir apparent, is widely known for his inflammatory posts on social media which have included threats to Western diplomats in Kampala.

This month he warned the EU was "playing with fire" after a group of EU ambassadors met officials from Uganda's largest opposition party including its leader, pop star-turned-politician, Bobi Wine.