Congo and Sudan seek clarification from Uganda Over Muhoozi's Provocative invasion Tweets

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Commander of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), has caused diplomatic tensions with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan due to his recent statements.

Both countries have sent protest notes to Uganda, seeking explanations and apologies for Gen Muhoozi's remarks on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), which have since been deleted.

On Tuesday, Gen Muhoozi warned that he would attack foreign armed nationals operating in Eastern DRC by January 2025.

These forces include United Nations peacekeepers, Southern African Development Community (SADC) troops, and Romanian mercenaries supporting the DRC military against M23 rebels. In another post, he claimed he would collaborate with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to capture Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, where the Sudan Armed Forces are currently battling the Rapid Support Forces for control.

These statements have led to official protests from both countries. Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Gen Muhoozi's remarks as "unprecedented and deviant utterance displays" and demanded an official apology from the Ugandan government. Similarly, the DRC's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ms. Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, summoned Uganda's diplomat to the DRC, Ambassador Twaha Matata, seeking clarification on Gen Muhoozi's statements.

This is not the first time Gen Muhoozi's social media activity has sparked controversy. In October 2022, he tweeted about invading Kenya and capturing Nairobi within two weeks, stating, "It wouldn't take us, my army and me, 2 weeks to capture Nairobi."

These comments led to diplomatic tensions, prompting President Yoweri Museveni to apologize to Kenya, stating, "I ask our Kenyan brothers and sisters to forgive us for tweets sent by General Muhoozi." Following this incident, Gen Muhoozi was removed from his position as Commander of Land Forces but was promoted to the rank of full General and retained as a senior presidential adviser.

Gen Muhoozi has also previously expressed support for M23 rebels in Eastern DRC. In November 2022, he tweeted, "As for M23, I think it is very, very dangerous for anybody to fight those brothers of ours. They are NOT terrorists! They are fighting for the rights of Tutsi in DRC." The Ugandan government distanced itself from his statements at that time.

These incidents have raised concerns about the impact of Gen Muhoozi's statements on Uganda's diplomatic relations with neighboring countries. Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has acknowledged the protests from DRC and Sudan and has stated that they will respond accordingly.