Gen Muhoozi Rekindles Uganda-Mozambique Historic Ties on Mozambique Armed Forces Day

On Mozambique’s Armed Forces Day, celebrated every September 25, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Chief of Defense Forces of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, reignited the historic bond between Uganda and Mozambique during a high-profile visit to Maputo.

This occasion not only commemorated Mozambique’s revolution but also rekindled the deep ties forged decades ago between the two nations.

During the celebration, Gen Muhoozi, accompanied by top UPDF officials, including Brig Gen Michael Nyarwa and Brig Gen William Bainomugisha, joined Mozambican and African military leaders in honoring fallen heroes at Heroes Square, where he laid a wreath on the tombstone of Samora Machel, Mozambique’s founding president.

Gen Muhoozi greets Joachim Chissano as Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi looks on

This gesture is deeply symbolic for Uganda, as Machel shared a close friendship with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, a relationship that played a pivotal role in shaping Uganda’s liberation struggle. President Museveni has often recounted the profound influence Mozambique’s independence had on Uganda’s own fight against colonial rule. In the book Jesus’ Africa by his daughter Patience, President Museveni recalls how, on the day following the birth of Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba in April 1974, he excitedly shared the news with Samora Machel. At the time, Machel was closely following the Portuguese Revolution, which marked the beginning of the end for Portuguese colonial rule in Africa.

“The independence of Mozambique in 1975 was decisive for our struggle in Uganda,” President Museveni noted. Machel’s FRELIMO movement had trained Uganda’s Front for National Salvation (FRONASA) fighters, including a crucial group led by Museveni himself. This group would later form the foundation of Uganda’s National Resistance Army (NRA), which played a critical role in liberating Uganda and ultimately evolving into the UPDF.

Gen Muhoozi’s presence at the 60th anniversary of Mozambique’s War of Independence celebrations echoes the sentiments his father expressed about the pivotal role Mozambique played in Uganda’s history. Mozambique’s liberation victory, which began in 1964, was instrumental in the broader African struggle for independence and directly influenced Uganda’s liberation efforts.

The Armed Forces Day celebrations in Maputo featured military parades, exhibitions, and the awarding of medals to remarkable military personnel, with President Filipe Nyusi presiding over the ceremonies. Military chiefs from across Africa, including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and others, were in attendance, underscoring the day’s significance for regional cooperation and shared historical memories.

Gen Muhoozi’s participation highlights Uganda’s continued commitment to strengthening ties with Mozambique. Just recently, the two countries solidified their growing relationship by signing a non-visa waiver agreement during a Joint Permanent Commission meeting in Kampala. The agreement is a testament to the deepening bilateral relations that have their roots in a revolutionary history shared by both nations.