Gen. Muhoozi’s Warning: U.S. Ambassador Must Apologize or Leave Uganda

Uganda’s military chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has demanded that U.S. Ambassador William Popp apologize to President Museveni or leave the country, heightening diplomatic tensions between Uganda and the United States.

In a post on X, Gen. Muhoozi accused Popp of “disrespecting our beloved and celebrated president” and undermining Uganda’s constitution. He stated, “If this current U.S. ambassador does not personally apologize to mzee (Museveni) by Monday morning at 9:00 am for his undiplomatic conduct in our country, we will demand his departure from Uganda.”

In a series of posts, Gen. Muhoozi suggested that the U.S. has been targeting Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), which has been in power since 1986. “We have no issue with the USA. As I have often said, it is a country we respect and admire. However, we have gathered substantial evidence that they have been undermining the NRM government,” he explained.

He further warned, “If ANYBODY is foolish enough to attack us in our own country, I promise them chaos, destruction, and defeat! Afghanistan would seem like a pleasant picnic compared to our resistance. Our forefathers showed us the way: sacrifice is better than slavery.”

These controversial remarks come shortly after the U.S. imposed sanctions on four former high-ranking officers in Uganda’s military.

Ben Cardin, chair of the U.S. Foreign Relations Committee, responded, stating that “any further confrontation will be very problematic and met with a serious response,” while a source at the U.S. Mission in Uganda indicated they were “analyzing the situation.”

On October 2, the U.S. Department of State announced sanctions against police officials Bob Kagarura, Alex Mwine, Elly Womanya, and Hamdani Twesigye for their involvement in serious human rights violations. Previous sanctions had targeted several prominent Ugandan officials, including former deputy military chief Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, Parliament Speaker Anita Among, and Minister Amos Lugoloobi, along with their families. Elwelu was blacklisted for “extrajudicial killings” committed by members of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), while the others faced allegations of corruption.

Other notable Ugandans under U.S. sanctions include former police chief Gen. Kale Kayihura, ex-spy chief Maj. Gen. Abel Kandiho, Uganda Prisons chief Johnson Byabashaija, and Moses Magogo, head of the football federation and speaker’s husband.

Museveni accepted Popp’s credentials in September 2023, appointing him as Washington’s diplomatic representative to Uganda, also known as the head of the U.S. mission.

Despite recent criticisms from Museveni directed at the West, Uganda and the United States have maintained relatively stable diplomatic relations for over 60 years.

Under international law, specifically Article 9 of the Vienna Convention, the receiving state (Uganda) can declare a diplomatic staff member of the sending state (the U.S.) persona non grata without providing an explanation.