Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni started military cooperation with Russia immediately after he captured power in 1986. Since then, Uganda People’s defense forces(UPDF) has imported most of its military supplies for its land and air forces from Russia.
The historic military ties culminated in the construction of an overhauling and upgrading plant for Russian helicopters in Uganda in January 2022. This April, a year later, Museveni commissioned into the flight the first ever overhauled and upgraded Russian Type Helicopter from the facility. Russian and Ugandan officials say that it is the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Pro Heli International Services Limited which is based at the Nakasongola Military cantonment about 80kms north of Kampala, plans to upgrade into maintaining the Sukhoi fighter jets, which are also manufactured from Russia. Further strategies are being laid to have commercial aircraft also maintained from this military facility run by both Ugandan and Russian engineers.
It is hoped that other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa that use Russian-made jets will utilize the service center that is much closer to them, and help in reducing costs of taking them back to Russia. The chief of defense forces of UPDF Gen. Mbasu Mbadi says countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mali have already shown interest in using the facility.
The chief executive officer of PRO Heli International Valari Copcin revealed that the Russian facility in Uganda is being prepared to serve other African countries and Latin America as well as Brazil since its proximity is convenient for many of them, and hinted at plans to have the facility turned into a one-stop center for all aviation needs.
Uganda has been spending over 2 million dollars to transport one helicopter for maintenance abroad, and it would take a whole two years to have it completed, with this facility, defense officials say, it will take less time and money to maintain their aircraft hence reducing expenditure.
President Museveni who has always talked passionately about the warm relations between Uganda/African Russia, hailed the development, he says it makes economic sense for other African states to use the facility because it is cheaper than going to maintain helicopters in Europe.
Mr. Museveni said that Uganda and Africa generally have no problem with Russia. ‘’I told the Western world that tried to mobilize African countries to stand against Russia that it was impossible for Africa to tow that line because Russia never harmed the continent”.
The 78 years old Ugandan leader who has been president for nearly 40 years has always emphasized how Russia stood with Africa in the fight against colonialism resulting in the cordial relationship between the former Soviet Union and the continent.
‘’We have never had a problem with Russia, and Russia has never had a problem with us. They want freedom in their own area, so our interests converge, I want to congratulate President Putin for stabilizing Russia and strengthening it again.’’
Museveni noted that such partnerships with developed countries come from demand and that there was no limit to the country’s cooperation with Russia. He called on other Russian investors to come and work with Uganda in many other areas other than in the Military like it is with the Chinese.
Uganda was one of the four countries that were visited by Russian foreign affairs minister Sergei Lavrov in July last year while drumming up support amidst strained ties with European countries, America, and others for her invasion of Ukraine. Uganda had earlier in February abstained from the vote to condemn Russia’s actions in the UN security council.
During the visit to Kampala, President Museveni told the Russian diplomat that Uganda wanted to trade with every country, that he did not believe in being enemies of somebody else’s enemy, and neither was it his job to be pro-East or pro-West.
Apart from the military cooperation, Uganda imports the highest percentage of fertilizers for her agriculture sector from Russia, and in return, exports rows of agricultural products like coffee and Tea to Russia.
Dr. Umar Kabumba of Makerere University’s economic policy research center advises Uganda to put more emphasis on technology transfer, and other investments that focus on the most pressing needs of the country such as youth employment in their bilateral cooperation with countries like Russia. According to Kabanda, although defense is an important aspect of development, Uganda is largely stable, therefore, more emphasis should be put into things that are directly linked to Human security.
The post Uganda Set to Maintain Russian-Made Jet Fighters Operating in Africa first appeared on The African Gazette.