Uganda
is heavily
dependent
on imports
of foreign
products
for most
of its
consumer
goods and
energy
requirements.
Furthermore,
the country
is landlocked
and so
must rely
on the
railways
and roads
of its
neighbors
for many
of these
goods.
For these
reasons,
one of
Uganda's
primary
foreign
policy
objectives
is to maintain
an open
trade route
to the
Indian
Ocean.
This is
as true
today for
Uganda's
government
as it was
for colonial
authorities
before
independence.
Once the
railroad
from Mombassa
to Kampala
was completed
early in
the protectorate
period,
relations
with Kenya
became
a primary
concern
of the
Ugandan
government.
During
the 1950s,
when
African
nationalism
was gaining
momentum
in East
Africa,
Uganda
sought
to achieve
closer
relations
with
surrounding
countries.
Later,
the economic
challenges
faced
by the
new nations
eroded
federational
initiatives
and eventually
led to
hostilities
between
Uganda
and Kenya
in the
1980s
that
would
have
been
unimaginable
two decades
earlier.
After
independence,
Uganda's
political
difficulties
led to
violence
within
the country.
Tensions
with
neighbors
caused
serious
strains
in bilateral
relations,
frequently
involving
rebellions
and military
incursions,
and forcing
many
citizens
to become
refugees.
Britain,
the nation's
former
colonial
ruler,
maintained
a close
relationship
with
Uganda.
But over
time,
this
relationship
diminished
in importance
as Uganda
cultivated
new links
with
other
industrialized
countries.
Despite
its official
policy
of nonalignment,
Uganda
remained
far more
closely
linked,
both
economically
and politically,
to the
capitalist
than
to the
socialist
bloc.
Uganda's
foreign
policy
objectives
changed
sharply
after
Idi Amin's
coup
d'Ètat
in 1971.
During
the first
decade
after
independence,
policy
makers
had emphasized
cooperation
with
Uganda's
neighbors
and the
superpowers,
participation
in international
organizations,
and nonalignment.
These
policies
were
intended
to protect
the state's
sovereignty
and support
the African
bloc
as much
as possible
without
limiting
trade
or losing
development
assistance.
When
Amin
seized
power,
he pursued
a far
more
aggressive
and unpredictable
foreign
policy.
Amin
threatened
Uganda's
neighbors
both
rhetorically
and militarily.
His gratuitous
verbal
attacks
on foreign
powers
served
mainly
to isolate
Uganda.
The
National
Resistance
Movement
(NRM)
government
introduced
radically
new foreign
policy
objectives
when
it came
to power.
This
brought
new complications
into
Uganda's
foreign
relations.
At the
outset,
President
Museveni
had enthusiastically
supported
international
and,
especially,
African
cooperation,
but this
cooperation
was contingent
on whether
other
regimes
were
racist,
dictatorial,
corrupt,
or violated
human
rights.
Shortly
after
taking
power,
the government
entered
into
trade
agreements
with
other
developing
countries,
which
were
based
on barter
rather
than
cash.
Museveni
wished
to promote
recognition
of Uganda's
autonomy,
even
though
its exports
consisted
largely
of coffee
purchased
by the
United
States
or Europe,
and most
of its
imports
came
from
Europe.
Uganda's
neighbors
were
suspicious
of the
radicalism
of Museveni's
pronouncements,
interpreting
his denunciations
of their
human
rights
policies
as political
attacks.
After
its first
four
years
in power,
the NRM
government
changed
its foreign
policy
to reflect
more
closely
those
of earlier
Ugandan
governments.
Uganda
maintained
friendly
relations
with
Libya,
the Soviet
Union,
North
Korea,
and Cuba,
although
most
of its
trade
and development
assistance
came
from
the West.
Though
it consistently
affirmed
political
nonalignment,
the fact
that
the NRM
government
accepted
an IMF
structural
adjustment
plan
made
it more
politically
acceptable
to Western
leaders.
During
this
period,
many
African
leaders
overcame
their
suspicion
of Museveni
and the
NRM,
electing
him chair
of the
Organization
of African
Unity
(OAU)
in 1990.
Uganda
is currently
a member
of the
Intergovernmental
Authority
on Development
(IGAD),
the Common
Market
for Eastern
and Southern
Africa
(COMESA),
and the
Organization
of African
Unity
(OAU).After
the collapse
of the
EAC (East
African
Community),
Uganda
renewed
efforts
to establish
cooperation
among
African
nations
in transport
and communications,
commerce
and industry,
security
and immigration,
and regional
investment.
A permanent
tripartite
commission
(PTC)
for East
Africa
Cooperation
was officially
launched
in Arusha,
Tanzania,
in March
1996.
Since
July
1, 1996,
the currencies
of Uganda,
Kenya
and Tanzania
have
been
convertible.
Progress
in other
areas
has been
slower.
Relations
with
Kenya
have
been
unstable,
due in
part
to personality
differences
between
the two
heads
of state.
Each
country
has alleged
that
the other
has sought
to destabilize
its politics.
The situation
has improved
since
1993,
when
Daniel
arap
Moi became
the first
Kenyan
head
of state
to make
an official
visit
to Uganda.
In
western
and northern
regions
of Uganda,
social
and political
problems
have
been
caused
by the
movement
of ethnic
and rebel
groups
across
the boundaries
with
Rwanda,
the Democratic
Republic
of Congo
(formerly
Zaire)
and Sudan,
resulting
in a
serious
refuge
problem.
In October
1990
the Rwandan
Patriotic
Front
(RPF)
used
Uganda
as a
base
from
which
to invade
Rwanda.
Uganda
has supported
the new
regime
in the
Democratic
Republic
of Congo
and encouraged
the geopolitical
realignment
of Central
Africa,
which
could
work
to Uganda's
benefit
if the
Congo
proves
stable.
The
most
serious
threat
to Uganda's
security
lies
in the
country's
northern
regions,
where
instability
caused
by the
civil
war in
Sudan
frequently
spills
across
the border
into
Uganda.
The Ugandan
government
supports
the Sudan
People's
Liberation
Army
(SPLA).
The Sudan
government
has aided
rebel
groups
from
Uganda.
Relations
between
Kampala
and Khartoum
have
deteriorated
in recent
years.
The situation
came
to head
in April
1995,
when
Uganda
broke
off diplomatic
relations.
2
1 Byrnes,
Rita
M. (ed.)
1992. Uganda
A Country
Study, Library
of Congress:
Washington
D.C.
pp. 178-9.
2 The
Economist
Intelligence
Unit,
1998, Country
Profile.
Uganda ,
The Unit:
London,
p. 8.