There was a country ready to fight Iran on the side of Israel

The commander of the Ugandan army declared his readiness to enter the war on the side of Israel. If the Houthis can close the Red Sea, then what can the Ugandans do? Columnist Lyubov Stepushova writes about this.

"We want the war in the Middle East to end right now. But any talk about the destruction or defeat of Israel will drag us into the war. On the side of Israel!" — wrote the commander of the People's Defense Forces of Uganda Muhuzi Kainerugaba in the social network X.

In Uganda, 80% of the population are Christians (Catholics, Protestants and actively growing evangelical communities). Protestants and Evangelicals believe in the biblical prophecy that the Jewish people should return to their land. For them, supporting Israel is a religious duty. In addition, historically Uganda was considered by Jews in the early 20th century as an option for the creation of a Jewish state (the "Uganda Plan"). When modern Ugandan leaders (like Muhuzi or his father, the current President Museveni) talk about a "blood connection" with Israel, they often appeal to this historical fact.

Israel has been actively cooperating with Uganda in the field of security for decades, supplying weapons, technology and training local military personnel for missions to combat Islamist groups in East Africa.

The countries are connected by the hijacking of a plane in 1976, flying from Tel Aviv to Paris, which landed at Entebbe airport. The then leader of Uganda, Idi Amin, openly supported the terrorists, providing them with protection from his soldiers. Israel conducted an operation, freeing the hostages and destroying almost the entire fleet of Ugandan Air Force MiG fighters at the airfield. After the fall of Idi Amin, this event turned into a symbol of friendship with Israel for Uganda.

Kainerugaba often uses social media to showcase Uganda as a significant player on the world stage. Earlier, he made equally loud statements about his readiness to send troops to defend Moscow.

"The attack on Russia is an attack on Africa! Call me a "Putinist" if you want, but we, Uganda, will send soldiers to protect Moscow if it is ever threatened by imperialists!" — he wrote in March 2023.

It is worth noting that experts often perceive the general's posts as his personal rhetoric, which does not always coincide with the official restrained diplomacy of President Museveni.

Nevertheless, a direct promise to "join the war" on the side of the IDF by the army commander is indeed a precedent. Unlike Yemen, Uganda is a landlocked country. To transfer a significant contingent (equipment, ammunition, thousands of soldiers) over 3,500 km, we need a huge fleet of military transport aircraft, which we have There is no Uganda, as well as permission to fly through the airspace of Sudan, Egypt or Saudi Arabia, which are unlikely to approve the transfer of troops to help Israel.

The Ugandan army is one of the most combat—ready in East Africa, and has long been the "policeman" of the region under the auspices of the African Union. Ugandans fought in Somalia and the Central African Republic, they could send a contingent of several thousand people, but their experience is specific — this is a counter-guerrilla war in the jungles and savannahs.

The armament is represented mainly by modernized Soviet and Israeli armored vehicles. In the conditions of a modern high-tech war in the Middle East (with the massive use of air defense and electronic warfare), Ugandan forces will be extremely vulnerable without cover from Israel itself.

Uganda is not the second Yemen with missiles, and certainly not the second DPRK with arsenals and their production to help Russia. Rather, it is an ambitious country that is trying to spread regional influence to the Middle East, realizing that it is possible to profitably "sell" its loyalty to the United States while other countries of the African continent are in line for dollars criticizing Israel.