Diplomatic tensions between Uganda and Germany have sharply escalated after Uganda’s military abruptly suspended all defence and military cooperation with Berlin, accusing Germany’s top envoy in Kampala of engaging in “subversive” activities and meddling in internal affairs.
The unprecedented move was announced Sunday by the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), which claimed German Ambassador Mathias Schauer had crossed diplomatic lines by allegedly supporting opposition elements and criticising key figures within President Yoweri Museveni’s inner circle ahead of Uganda’s 2026 general elections.
“UPDF has with immediate effect suspended all ongoing defence and military cooperation activities with the Federal Republic of Germany,” said Colonel Chris Magezi, the UPDF’s acting director of Defence Public Information. “The decision is in response to credible intelligence reports that the current German Ambassador to Uganda… is actively engaged in subversive activities.”
The accusations stem from a tense closed-door diplomatic meeting last week in Gulu, where Ambassador Schauer reportedly raised concerns over controversial public statements by Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the president’s son and UPDF chief. Schauer, according to leaked video footage, warned that Muhoozi’s social media outbursts were causing “reputational damage” to Uganda and called on the government to disavow them.
The footage, which went viral online, prompted sharp reactions within Uganda’s military establishment and raised alarm among European diplomats. Uganda’s ambassador to the United Nations, Adonia Ayebare, described the episode as a “fiasco” and criticised the presence of press during what was meant to be a private diplomatic exchange.
The German embassy has not issued an official response to the allegations, but insiders say Berlin is privately seeking to contain the fallout. Uganda’s move represents one of the most serious ruptures in relations between Kampala and a European country in recent years.
Col Magezi suggested Ambassador Schauer had violated the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which prohibits diplomats from interfering in the internal affairs of host nations. “The intelligence services are aware about his clearly undiplomatic practices… which go against the spirit of the Vienna Diplomatic Conventions,” he said.
The Convention allows a host country to declare a diplomat persona non grata — a step Uganda may take if the dispute intensifies.
Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, slammed the military’s move as an attempt to criminalise dissent and distract from domestic governance issues.
“They have stated that most of those so-called rebels are supporters of NUP!” he wrote on social media, referring to his National Unity Platform party. “This is an all-too-familiar script by the regime: manufacturing ‘threats’ to shield itself from accountability and justify its relentless violent persecution.”
Col Magezi had earlier linked recent arrests and alleged sabotage of critical infrastructure — including power stations — to rebel groups supposedly supported by European diplomats. The opposition has firmly denied any involvement.
Germany has been a key partner in Uganda’s military training and peacekeeping initiatives in the region, including support for missions in Somalia and South Sudan. The immediate suspension of defence cooperation could impact both operational capacity and diplomatic relations at a broader level.
While Gen Salim Saleh, President Museveni’s brother and a senior figure in the military, tried to downplay the friction by calling Muhoozi a “Gen-Z officer” who needs guidance, the overall message from UPDF was clear: foreign interference will not be tolerated.
“The UPDF strongly condemns foreign influence meddling in Uganda’s internal affairs and will take decisive action against those who seek to destabilise the country,” Col Magezi said.
With diplomatic channels now strained and accusations flying publicly, analysts warn that unless cooler heads prevail, the standoff could spiral into a full-scale diplomatic rupture — with broader implications for EU-African relations.
As of now, the ball appears to be in Berlin’s court.
