By Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. Recently the government of the Republic of Uganda received high-tech Equipment that was donated to them by the government of France. The high-tech equipment was received by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Mountain Division from the French military.
Equipment nature
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. France also provides operational training detachments, including training in mountainous terrain, to enhance the UPDF’s skills in diverse environments.
Donation aims
The French donation to the UPDF is aimed to enhance operations focused on restoring peace in the Rwenzori region and throughout Uganda. The equipment was handed over following a joint training program between the UPDF and French military the Mountain Division Headquarters in Muhooti Barracks. According to Brig Gen Paul Muwonge, the Deputy Division Commander who received the equipment on behalf of the Division Commander, the French military not only donated the advanced technology but also provide training to UPDF personnel. “This training program, initiated and supported by the French military, is a testament to the strong bilateral relations between Uganda and France, and the excellent cooperation between our two-armed forces,” Brig Gen Muwonge said. France also supports Uganda in the global struggle against terrorism through training and equipment.
Benefits to Uganda
Brig Gen Muwonge noted that the advanced technology will significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the UPDF, particularly in mountainous terrain. For the training part, Brig Gen Muwonge emphasized the importance of the training-of-trainers (ToTs) approach, explaining that the trained officers will be instrumental in cascading the knowledge to more personnel across the division. Maj Jeannot, the chief trainer from the French Army, noted that the graduates should share the skills acquired with their fellow officers to broaden the force’s operational knowledge. The French Defence Attaché to Uganda, Lt Col Yann Chollette, acknowledged the challenging environment in which the Mountain Division operates, likening it to conditions faced by French troops combating terrorism and insurgency in similar terrain.
Does the donation have any connection with rebel support in Eastern DRC?
In 2024, the United Nations (UN)-authorised investigators reported that Uganda’s military, the UPDF, directly and through its intelligence arm, the Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS), actively supports M23 and Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) rebel bands in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Also in the same year, the Spokesperson of the Wazalendo Jules Mulumba released a statement on X formerly Twitter accusing UPDF soldiers of fighting alongside M23 rebels to capture Sake town in North Kivu Province. Mulumba also posted some pictures of UPDF armoured vehicles claiming that they are near Sake.
Civil society figures and some former ministers also claim that the Ugandan army is playing a double game: on the one hand, it is supporting the DR Congo army in a war against the ADF, while on the other it is playing for the rebels when it comes to the war against the M23. There is fear that some of the high-tech equipment that France donated to Uganda could be used directly or indirectly to support rebels in eastern DR Congo through Rwanda, following doubts raised by observers monitoring the security situation in the region, especially since a country like France is accused of being responsible for the genocide that took place in Rwanda in the 1990s, and therefore cannot be trusted to play a role in maintaining security and stability in the region. In January 2025, Congolese protestors attacked the France embassy in DR Congo’s capital, Kinshasa. The angry demonstrators stormed diplomatic compounds setting fires and defacing properties. The protests were fuelled by frustration over perceived international complicity in Rwanda’s alleged support for M23 rebels, whose violent offensive has destabilised DR Congo’s eastern region.However, France expressed its solidarity regarding the crisis in the DR Congo and condemned actions by Rwanda in the country, according to the French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. On the other hand, this was not the first time for the UPDF to receive donations from France. In 2003, France gave the UPDF several equipment including protective gears, clothing and camping materials.
Uganda and France security ties
According to the statement released from the France’s Office of the Defence Attaché, 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 technics and standards, has grown years after years, and could keep strengthening in the coming years. 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. In July 2016, 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.
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