In November 2025, the African Union (AU) appointed President Museveni to mediate the conflict in Sudan. This war has plunged the country into one of the gravest humanitarian crises in recent history. The conflict, which began in April 2023, has claimed more than 24,000 lives and displaced more than 13 million people.
The AU believes President Museveni’s long experience in regional diplomacy makes him a suitable choice to lead mediation efforts, especially after several international initiatives failed to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table. Under this mandate, President Museveni is expected to urge an immediate cessation of hostilities, facilitate the opening of humanitarian corridors, and promote inclusive political dialogue aimed at restoring peace and national reconciliation in Sudan.
In March 2025, President Museveni also deployed the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to South Sudan at the request of President Salva Kiir. This intervention followed deadly clashes in which soldiers loyal to then Vice President Riek Machar mutinied and killed troops loyal to President Kiir in Nasir and parts of Juba. At the time, South Sudan stood on the brink of another devastating civil war that would likely have collapsed the government and created yet another failed state in the region. The UPDF remains deployed as regional leaders continue to pursue a lasting political solution through dialogue.
South Sudan has lived on the edge of instability since the death of its founding leader, John Garang, in a plane crash on July 30, 2005. His successor, President Kiir, has struggled to build a cohesive leadership with his former deputy, Mr Machar, whose political ambitions have repeatedly fuelled internal conflict. The country’s fragile tribal dynamics have further deepened divisions, leaving scars that may take generations to heal.
The Dinka, led politically by President Kiir, often view themselves as the principal architects of South Sudan’s liberation struggle, having sacrificed immensely in the fight against domination from the Arab north. They accuse the Nuer, led by Mr Machar, of collaborating with the Khartoum regime during the war. Conversely, the Nuer regard themselves as more educated and internationally exposed. What South Sudan urgently needs, however, is a reconstituted national army, guided by patriotism rather than ethnic/tribal loyalties.
Despite repeated calls for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad), the AU, and the European Union to deploy peacekeeping forces before the eventual withdrawal of the UPDF, little tangible action has been taken. As a result, Uganda has shouldered a disproportionate burden in preventing what could have escalated into genocide. Ironically, rather than being commended, some actors, both within the region and internationally, have accused President Museveni of being a partisan actor in the South Sudan conflict. This narrative is far from the truth.
As efforts intensify to restore peace and stability in both Sudans, President Museveni deserves the support of all peace-loving global actors. The two countries remain the ‘sick men’ of the region and require sustained international attention and assistance. Beyond the Sudans, Uganda continues to play a stabilising role elsewhere.
The deployment of the UPDF in Somalia and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is yet another sacrifice aimed at restoring peace. Somalia, once considered a failed state dominated by clan militias and al-Shabaab terrorists, is steadily rebuilding, thanks in part to Uganda’s contribution alongside other partners.
In eastern DRC, the UPDF, at the invitation of the Kinshasa government, entered Ituri Province in November 2021 and dismantled Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) cells responsible for mass killings and displacement.
Working jointly with the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC), UPDF has helped restore relative stability, allowing communities to return home and cross-border trade between Uganda and DRC to flourish once again.
The spirit of pan-Africanism will forever be his DNA. Reason why Ugandans should, without blinking an eye, vote for the man with a hut come January 15.