Uganda cuts defence ties with Turkey over Somalia dispute, sources say

Uganda's decision to suspend all defence cooperation with Turkey is linked to the possible end of the African Union mission in Somalia, which could cost Kampala tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue, several sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.

The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) announced on Saturday that it had suspended all defence and military cooperation with Ankara with immediate effect.

Ugandan media had reported that the decision followed demonstrations outside the Turkish embassy in Kampala by supporters of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), a group chaired by Uganda's military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

The protesters had demanded the extradition from Turkey of Ugandan political commentator Fred Lumbuye, who has lived in the country since 2013.

But sources told MEE that the dispute over Lumbuye was a pretext for a wider disagreement over Uganda's military presence in Somalia and Turkey's growing role in the country's security sector.

"Lumbuye has been living in Turkey since 2013 and this crisis has nothing to do with his presence, it is only a smoke screen," said one of the sources familiar with the matter.

"The whole episode is connected to Ugandan army’s presence in Somalia, which has close security ties with Ankara."

Uganda has roughly 4,500 troops in Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (Aussom), the main international force supporting the Somali army, and a further 2,000 under a bilateral agreement, a military source told AFP.

But the mission's future was thrown into doubt after the US informed the African Union in July that it would end its payments to the UN Support Office in Somalia, which provides crucial logistical support to Aussom, by the end of the year.

The development has raised questions over how the mission will be funded and whether countries such as Uganda will continue deploying troops.

Sources told MEE that Somalia had asked Uganda to end its military deployment, citing the growing strength of Somali military brigades trained by Turkey.

'Uganda could lose millions'

Ugandan forces were once crucial to protecting Somalia. In recent years, however, the Turkish military has trained nearly 25,000 Somali soldiers in Mogadishu and at least 10,000 additional commandos in Turkey.

Sources familiar with the issue told MEE that Uganda receives at least $1,000 a month for each soldier deployed in Somalia.

"Ending the mission could mean for Uganda to lose millions of dollars in a year," a second source familiar with the matter told MEE.

"Uganda is trying to pressure Turkey to find a solution to the crisis since it sees Ankara as the main stakeholder in Somali security issues."

'Somalia's government is now capable of providing its own security for its capital and surrounding regions'

- Tunc Demirtas, Seta

The source estimated that Uganda could lose between $5m and $6m a month - or $60m to $72m a year - if the mission ends and Kampala withdraws all its forces.

Tunc Demirtas, a researcher at the Ankara-based Seta think tank, said the growing capabilities of Somalia’s security forces meant the country was increasingly able to take responsibility for its own security.

"Somalia's government is now capable of providing its own security for its capital and surrounding regions and as its state capacity is built up, it requires less support from abroad," Demirtas told MEE.

"There is a war economy in Somalia and of course it was also contributing to Uganda."

The sources said that Ankara was seeking a solution to the dispute as it feared Turkish companies operating Uganda's infrastructure and transport projects could be affected.

The AFP news agency reported that Uganda could cancel a $3bn railway contract awarded to Turkish construction company Yapi Merkezi and expel Turkish nationals from the country.