Uganda has accused Berlin’s envoy of engaging in subversive activities in the country
Uganda has suspended defense cooperation with Germany in response to the latter’s ambassador allegedly being involved with hostile groups said to be working against the East African country’s government.
Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesperson Chris Magezi announced the decision in an official statement posted on the army’s website on Monday, citing “credible intelligence reports” as the basis.
“His Excellency Matthias Schauer is actively engaged in subversive activities in the country,” the statement read.
“The suspension will remain in force until the full resolution of the matter of the ambassador’s involvement with hostile pseudo political-military forces operating in the country against the Ugandan government,” Magezi added.
Schauer, who has served as Germany’s envoy to Uganda since 2020, has not publicly responded to the allegations. However, the EU state has reportedly rejected the accusations. According to Reuters, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry called the claims “absurd and without any merit” and rejected them “in the strongest terms.”
The UPDF statement did not specify the groups in question or detail the nature of the alleged misconduct. According to local media reports, the accusations came after the ambassador privately protested to Presidential Advisor on Defense and Security General Salim Saleh, about “threatening” social media posts by Uganda’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Earlier this month, Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni, warned that the EU was “playing with fire” after a group of EU diplomats met with senior members of the opposition National Unity Platform party.
Germany has engaged in defense-related cooperation across Africa, often involving training and security support, although specific details of its military ties with Uganda have not been made public. The spokesperson for the German Foreign Office said there is no formalized military cooperation between Berlin and Kampala, cited by Reuters.
Ugandan troops are part of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, which receives partial funding from the EU.
Kampala has in recent months expressed increased concern about what it calls foreign interference in domestic affairs, warning of covert support for opposition actors by international missions.
The diplomatic fallout adds to a broader pattern of tension between Western powers and African governments. Several countries in the region – particularly in the Sahel – have also cut defense ties with France, accusing it of aggression and meddling in their internal affairs.
