President Museveni has warned that Uganda could face future wars if its access to the Indian Ocean, which is vital for strategic defence and economic development, is obstructed.
Speaking during a radio talk show at Mbale State Lodge in Mbale City, Mr Museveni criticised the notion of one country claiming exclusive ownership of the sea, calling it ‘madness.’
‘That is why I say, you people, why don’t you see how to unite? Because Uganda, even if you want to build a navy, how can you build it? We don’t have access to the sea. The political organisation in Africa is so irrational. Some of the countries have no access to the sea for economic purposes, but also for defence purposes. You are stuck. How do I export my products? That is why we have had endless discussions with Kenya. This one stops, another comes. The railway, the pipeline, the what, we discuss. But that ocean belongs to me. Because it is my ocean. I am entitled to that ocean.
In future, we are going to have wars,’ Mr Museveni said. He said political and economic integration within the East African Community is one of the seven key priorities in his presidential manifesto. Using a metaphor of a condominium block, Mr Museveni argued that all countries, regardless of geographic position, should have equal access to shared resources. ‘How can you say that you are on a block of flats, that the compound belongs only to the flats on the ground floor? That compound belongs to the whole block. All the flats are entitled to the compound. So me I say, these people. are really endangering themselves.
How can you have a situation like this? Uganda is landlocked inside here. But where is my ocean? My ocean is the Indian Ocean. No! No! It belongs to. Really! Me! I am on the top floor of the block and then you say the compound belongs to the ones on the ground floor. This is madness,’ Mr Museveni said. He added that regional integration would help prevent future conflicts, as countries would benefit from shared prosperity and stability. ‘That is why I say, you people, you better unite economically for the sake of prosperity. If you want prosperity, market.
But if you want stability and also strength in the world, so you can go to the moon. The ones who go to the moon are big ones, not small people. The Americans, the Chinese, the Russians, and the Indians now. Our friends, the British, are still here with us. They can go. It is too much. One country can’t manage. The French are here with us. All these fellows, except those four, because size matters.
That is why we say, you people, why don’t you look at East Africa so that we deal with the issue of strategic security?’ he said. Uganda and Kenya have had long-standing disagreements over sea access. In the 1970s, Kenya blocked Uganda’s access following disputes with then-President Idi Amin. The border was again closed shortly after Mr Museveni came to power, and moderate tensions over sea access and regional markets have persisted.
Equal access.
How can you say you are on a block of flats, that the compound belongs only to the flats on the ground floor? That compound belongs to the whole block. All the flats are entitled to the compound. So me I say, these people. are really endangering themselves. How can you have a situation like this? Uganda is landlocked inside here. But where is my ocean? My ocean is the Indian Ocean. No! No! It belongs to. Really! Me! I am on the top floor of the block and then you say the compound belongs to the ones on the ground floor. This is madness- President Museveni.