Uganda has suspended all military and defence cooperation with Turkey amid a diplomatic dispute over Ankara’s refusal to extradite Ugandan dissident Fred Lumbuye, escalating tensions between the two countries.
KAMPALA, Sept 22, 2026 – Uganda has suspended all military and defence cooperation with Turkey following Ankara's continued refusal to extradite a high-profile dissident blogger who has been a fierce critic of President Yoweri Museveni, the military announced Saturday.
The move marks a dramatic escalation in a diplomatic row surrounding Fred Lumbuye, a Turkish-based Ugandan exile facing 15 charges in Kampala, including inciting violence, spreading false news, and violating computer misuse laws.
Ugandan military spokesperson Chris Magezi confirmed that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) had "immediately suspended all defence and military cooperation with the Republic of Turkey."
Magezi added that the suspension would remain in effect until outstanding issues regarding bilateral military collaboration are fully addressed.
The announcement came a day after hundreds of supporters of the Patriotic League of Uganda—a political movement closely aligned with General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the head of the military and son of President Museveni—staged a protest outside the Turkish embassy in Kampala.
"Today we are not here to express hostility towards the Turkish people, but as Ugandan patriots we are deeply frustrated by the situation," said Fadil Twalla, the group's secretary-general, accusing Lumbuye of waging verbal attacks against Uganda's leadership from Turkish soil.
Kainerugaba, who has aggressively pushed Ankara for Lumbuye's extradition, took to social media to praise the demonstrators, issuing a stern warning to Ankara.
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"Turkey will fulfill all our demands. If they do not, life will become difficult for their citizens in Uganda," Kainerugaba posted.
A Turkish court formally rejected Uganda's extradition request for Lumbuye in July 2022. While his current legal status in Turkey remains unclear, Lumbuye continues to broadcast regularly via his YouTube channel and social media platforms to thousands of followers, offering a rare platform for opposition voices amid a tight squeeze on political dissent inside Uganda.
The diplomatic fallout threatens a decade-long security partnership. Kampala and Ankara signed a defence industry cooperation pact in June 2016, which was further expanded in 2022 through a bilateral military training agreement covering weapons procurement, joint training, surveillance equipment, technology transfers, and counter-terrorism measures.
Relations have frayed rapidly in recent months over the standoff. Kainerugaba previously threatened to terminate a nearly $3-billion contract awarded to the Turkish firm Yapı Merkezi to construct Uganda’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), alongside warnings that Turkish nationals could face expulsion from the East African country.
Turkish media reported in June that Kainerugaba had declared the railway contract cancelled as part of the mounting friction between the two nations.
Museveni, 82, was sworn in for his seventh term in May 2021, while Kainerugaba's influence over the country's political and security apparatus has expanded significantly, positioning him as a dominant figure in Ugandan politics.
Neither the Turkish government nor its embassy in Kampala has publicly responded to the military suspension.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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