Inside CDF Gen Muhoozi Meeting with US Defence Attaché to Bolster Military Cooperation

Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, held a meeting this afternoon with the US Defence Attaché to Uganda, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Noumba.

According to sources, the meeting, held at the CDF’s office, focused on bolstering the longstanding and robust relationship between the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and the United States military.

It comes a week after US Ambassador to Uganda William Popp visited the military headquarters in Mbuya on the outskirts of Uganda’s capital, Kampala.

During Popp’s visit, he met with Uganda’s Defence Minister and Deputy CDF.

Although details of the CDF’s meeting with the US Military attache are still scanty, analysts believe it is part of Washington’s moves to maintain strong military cooperation with Uganda in the region.

Uganda provides the lions share of the African Transition Mission in Somalia (Former AMISOM), an African Union force stabilising the war-torn nation. The US collaborates with African troops stationed in Somalia to fight the Al shabaab extremists.

Since his appointment as CDF last month, Gen Muhoozi has now met UK’s High Commissioner to Uganda, her defence attache, US ambassador to Uganda and now, the US Military Defence Attaché.

These visits could be part of a renewed wider push by western countries to bolster their military alliances on the continent amid the influence of powers like Russia and China in Africa.