Sudan demands apology from Uganda over invasion threat
December 18, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan demanded an official apology from Uganda on Wednesday over “offensive and dangerous” comments made by the chief of Ugandan army staff, who threatened to invade Khartoum.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, posted two comments on the X platform on Tuesday in which he threatened “to capture Khartoum” with the support of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump after he takes office. The posts were deleted later.
“The government of Sudan demands an official apology from the Ugandan government for the offensive and dangerous comments of the army commander,” Sudan’s foreign ministry said in a statement seen by Sudan Tribune.
The ministry called on the African Union and regional and international organizations to condemn Kainerugaba’s statements, which it said constituted a clear threat to regional and international security and an insult to Africans.
Kainerugaba’s tweets came a day after a short visit to Addis Ababa, where he met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The Ugandan army chief’s remarks sparked widespread anger among Sudanese social media users.
Sudan’s foreign ministry described Kainerugaba’s statements as “reckless and irresponsible,” stressing that they were an “abnormal precedent that embodies a regrettable level of disregard for international law, norms of dealing between countries, and the requirements of mutual respect between peoples.”
The ministry said Kainerugaba’s remarks represented a complete departure from the rules of conduct expected of those holding high official and military positions, adding that “the threat of war, the violation of the sovereignty of states, and the defiance of the Charter of the United Nations and the African Union are too serious to be a subject of tampering, seeking the spotlight, and astonishment.”
Kainerugaba, who is seen as his father’s likely successor, has a history of controversial statements. He previously threatened to invade Kenya while serving as commander of the land forces, a remark that led to his dismissal from that post before he was appointed commander of the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces.