By Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. France’s newly appointed defence attaché to Uganda, Lieutenant Colonel Sébastien Berger, paid an introductory call on Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba on 1st September. The meeting took place at the Special Forces Command Headquarters in Entebbe. The meeting happened just a few months after the government of the Republic of Uganda received high-tech equipment donation from the government of France. The equipment was received by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Mountain Division from the French military.
The nature of the specific equipment provided included training and operational support, as well as the provision of equipment like specialized communication devices and surveillance technology.
Aim of the meeting
Both leaders said the discussions aimed to bolster training and regional security cooperation. It was also attended by Berger’s deputy, Lieutenant Colonel E. Desroche. Uganda acknowledged the existing military links between the two countries that is why General Muhoozi pledged to “advance mutual security interests,” while the French officers reaffirmed a commitment to “deepen the strategic partnership” with the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), according to a statement shared after the meeting. The visit follows a steady uptick in Franco-Ugandan military engagement centred on training and capability support. In November 2024, Uganda and France said they would expand cooperation in areas such as mountain warfare and French-language instruction for UPDF units, including at the Mountain Warfare Training School in Karugutu. General Muhoozi appointed Chief of Defence Forces in March 2024, has cast external partnerships as key to modernising the army and improving troop welfare, while Uganda sustains deployments in Somalia and conducts joint actions with the Democratic Republic of Congo against the Islamic State-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
The scale of military cooperation between France and Uganda
Both countries’ military cooperation focuses on training the UPDF for peacekeeping operations in the region, especially deployments in Somalia, with French forces providing operational training and a senior officer embedded in the UPDF for alpine training. The scale includes up to three training detachments annually, plus a program to train UPDF soldiers in France and French-speaking African countries, alongside training French learners in Uganda.
In April the France’s Office of the Defence Attaché, released a statement saying that France and Uganda have built a partnership to reinforce the global fight against terrorism and to upgrade the UPDF operational capacities. This bilateral cooperation based on French techniques and standards, has grown year after year, and could keep strengthening in the coming years. French forces stationed in Djibouti conduct annual operational training detachments for UPDF soldiers at the Singo training centre. This training prepares UPDF contingents for their deployment in international peacekeeping missions, such as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Training covers various areas, including weapons handling, combat tactics, rules of engagement, and responses to improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Uganda and France military cooperation also includes capacity building in which French officers are placed within the UPDF to provide support and expertise. About 15 UPDF soldiers are sent for training each year in France or French-speaking African countries. France also supports the UPDF in the training of military skills in the mountainous environment. This cooperation emanates from a request of the UPDF to be better prepared to evolve in the Rwenzori or Mount Elgon mountainous environment this resulted in the signature of a project agreement between France and Uganda, and in providing a French Chief of Mountain Training Project. The Ugandan army has acquired autonomy in training for this new operational ability.
Trade cooperation
France is a major investor in Uganda, with French companies being among the top private investors. French companies have committed to investments of over €3.8 billion in Uganda over the next three years (2025-2027), building on ongoing investments in the oil and gas sector by TotalEnergies.There are significant planned investments from France, with figures exceeding USD 4 billion projected for the coming years. These investments are focused on sectors like energy and water, as well as manufacturing, agriculture, and ICT. The relationship is further supported by the French Chamber of Commerce in Uganda (FCCU), which works to foster economic ties between French and Ugandan businesses. In 2024, France imported about USD 28.7 million worth of goods from Uganda, while quarterly bilateral flows showed France exporting €11.2 million to Uganda and importing €6.56 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to international trade trackers.
Energy sector
In November 2022, Uganda’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development signed an agreement with the French independent power producer Hydrogen de France (HDF) Energy to create the first green hydrogen power plant in Uganda. Since 2009, the Agence Francaise du Development (AFD) has been in Uganda and has committed almost EUR 240 million to the country. This was to support Uganda in the water, sanitation, and energy sectors.
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