Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran now the late Ebrahim Raisi during his tri-nation tour of Africa that took place in July last year, Uganda was one of the three countries he visited. H.E Raisi held meetings on several issues with the president of Uganda H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni that were intended to strengthen the excellent bilateral relations between the two nations. President Museveni and his Iranian counterpart Raisi finished the government bilateral functions late, as dusk was gathering, however, Raisi insisted on going to the suburbs at night to visit the pro-people projects Iran had constructed.
Concern
The sudden death of President Raisi occurred when a helicopter carrying him and other officials was forced into a hard landing due to bad weather in Iran’s northwestern province of East Azerbaijan left some Ugandans questioning whether the bilateral agreement that were signed by Uganda and Iran during Raisi’s visit will continue. Raisi’s visit to Uganda came a few days after the government of Uganda announced that they are searching for new investors for a USD 4.5 billion oil project after an agreement with the American and Italian films consortium expired in June this year. Raisi said Tehran was ready to share its oil industry experience, while the West was “not generally interested to see countries who enjoy great resources and national reserves to be independent. In July 2023, four cooperation documents were signed in the presence of Uganda and Irani’s heads of state. Among the bilateral agreements signed between the Iran and the government of Uganda included visa waiver, agricultural cooperation, and the establishment of a joint permanent commission.
Diplomatic guarantee
The Iranian Ambassador to Uganda Majid Saffar this week assured the Ugandan government of the strong and continued diplomatic ties they recently established despite the death of President Ebrahim Raisi. Ambassador Saffar explained that according to their constitution, after Raisi’s death, a new government must be established after 50 days and hopes the team will continue to foster the relationship. According to Ambassador Saffar the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran made agreements with the Ugandan government on various partnerships and they will be fulfilled as were agreed with President Raisi. Since Uganda and Iran’s diplomatic relations were established, several Iranian diplomats have visited Uganda on several occasions. The president of Uganda Museveni made frequent visits to Iran and three of Iran’s heads of state have also visited Uganda. The first one was President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in 1996. During Mr. Rafsanjani’s visit to Uganda, both leaders signed several agreements on trade, telecommunication, fisheries, and veterinary sectors. President Rafsanjani’s visit led to the establishment of an Iranian charge d’affaires in Uganda in 1997 and 1998 Iran’s embassy in Uganda was opened.
Uganda and Iran’s bilateral relations
The Republic of Uganda and the Islamic Republic of Iran Uganda enjoy cordial relations under the current regimes. A number of bilateral measures have been undertaken by the two countries. Despite the Western nation’s attempt to use its diplomatic and economic powers to isolate Iran over its nuclear development, President Museveni has maintained a cordial relationship with Tehran. President Raisi while in Uganda last year, offered Museveni support for the major project to build a domestic oil refinery and pipeline that has been opposed by environmental groups and faced legal action in France and criticism in the European Parliament. Raisi said Tehran was ready to share its oil industry experience, while the West was “not generally interested to see countries who enjoy great resources and national reserves to be independent.” In a mourning statement, President Museveni posted on his social media X handle, formerly Twitter. President, he described Raisi as a dedicated worker and unifier for his country and for the tri-continental struggle for justice by Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the peace-loving people of Europe.
Economic ties
On one of President Museveni’s visits to Iran, he had a discussion with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, and the two leaders agreed to establish an air link between Uganda and Iran. However, the project failed. In 2005, President Khatami also visited Uganda to strengthen economic ties,Four years later, President Museveni Visited Iran where he invited Iranian investors to build an oil refinery in Uganda. The next year, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Uganda amid protest from the U.S. government and its allies, who were key funders of President Museveni’s government and Uganda’s Defence ministry. The government of Iran agreed to build a medical centre for the Uganda Police Force in Kampala. After the signed deal between Uganda and Iran, many Western countries stopped funding the Uganda Police Forces. Uganda’s Imports from Iran were USD 2.68 million in 2020, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Uganda Imports from Iran – data, historical chart, and statistics – was last updated in July of 2023. In 2020, Uganda Imported Iran mineral fuels, oils, and distillation products valued at USD 2.17M.
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