Ugandan military chief vows to back Israel against Iran in viral social media barrage

Uganda’s subject main has warned the African country’s equipped forces could participate the Iran warfare connected Israel’s broadside aft issuing a bid of statements connected societal media that went viral this week.

Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba — son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni — who is considered to beryllium his apt successor, has spent this week making a barrage of posts connected X successful enactment of Israel.

"We basal with Israel due to the fact that we are Christians," helium wrote, adding successful different post, "Uganda is the David that was forgotten and neglected by the world. We volition decision the giant, Goliath."

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Kainerugaba began his societal media blitz with, "We privation the warfare successful the Middle East to extremity now. The satellite is bushed of it. But immoderate speech of destroying oregon defeating Israel volition bring america into the war. On the broadside of Israel!"

Uganda has 45,000 progressive subject unit successful the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF), with astir 35,000 reserves, according to its ministry of defense. It’s estimated to person astir 240 tanks and implicit 1,000 armored warring vehicles.

The federation is besides heavy progressive militarily successful conflict-affected countries. Its soldiers combat arsenic portion of an African Union unit against Islamist al-Shabab terrorists successful Somalia. Their service is besides inactive operating successful the eastbound Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) against the Islamic State-linked ADF violent group.

While Iran is not known to person immoderate interests successful Uganda, it has been accused of covert operations successful neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, including the moving of smuggling networks and making arguable diplomatic and economical outreach with questionable motives passim the region. Although landlocked, Uganda is said to beryllium wary of Iran’s strategical involvement successful gaining a beingness successful the determination waters of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.

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Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) attends his subject decoration ceremonial astatine the Bombo Military Barracks, successful Bombo, Luweero District, Uganda Oct. 10, 2022.  (Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters)

In different station helium stated, "Israel stood with america erstwhile we were nobodies successful the 1980s and 1990s. Why wouldn't we support her present that our GDP is $100 billion? One of the largest successful Africa."

Israel has historically trained Ugandan forces, including the general. It is understood that Uganda maintains a beardown strategical concern with Israel, with adjacent information and quality ties.

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile strategy intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, arsenic seen from the metropolis of Ashkelon, Israel, Oct. 9, 2023.  (Amir Cohen/Reuters)

It wasn’t ever similar this. In 1976, with dictator Idi Amin aggressively opposing Israel, 4 terrorists hijacked Air France Flight 139 connected its mode from Tel Aviv to France. The level was diverted to Entebbe Airport successful Uganda. During the nighttime of July 3, 1976, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) mounted a long-range rescue mission, primitively codenamed Operation Thunderbolt, to rescue 106 mostly Israeli hostages being held.

The ngo was retroactively renamed Operation Yonatan aft the mission’s leader, Lt. Col. Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu, the elder member of the existent Israeli Prime Minister, was killed by a Ugandan sniper during the raid. The Israeli soldiers pulled disconnected a palmy rescue, but 4 hostages, 7 hijackers and 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed.

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Kainerugaba announced that successful a further motion of goodwill toward Israel, helium intends to person a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu erected astatine the nonstop spot successful Entebbe’s airdrome wherever helium fell. This week, Kainerugaba posted a photograph of the statue connected X, dubbing it "a sneak peek."