By Leonard Kamugisha
KAMPALA
Ugandan opposition politician Hassan Kaps Fungaroo has called on President Yoweri Museveni to resign as chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), arguing that Uganda’s decision to deploy troops to Gaza contradicts the bloc’s founding principles.
Fungaroo, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) deputy president for Northern Uganda and MP for Obongi, criticised Parliament’s approval of the deployment of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) personnel under the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) created by the US President, Donald Trump.
He said the decision to participate in what he described as a US-designed military framework undermined Uganda’s non-aligned position and its credibility as the current chair of NAM.
“The decision to deploy UPDF troops to Gaza under a US-designed military framework directly contradicts the foundational principles of NAM and openly marks Uganda as an ally of the USA,” Fungaroo said.
Uganda is chairing NAM for the 2024-2027 term, placing President Museveni at the centre of the bloc’s diplomatic activities.
Fungaroo said the deployment risked undermining the collective position of developing countries, particularly on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He accused Parliament’s Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, of rushing the proceedings on the deployment, leaving MPs with insufficient time to scrutinise the proposal.
The opposition MP, who serves as shadow minister for security, said legislators should also have been given an opportunity to examine Uganda’s previous military deployments in Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.
“We needed to understand the Memorandum of Understanding between the government and the soldiers going to Gaza because we had incidents where soldiers from such missions are paid peanuts or not paid at all,” he said.
He said some former soldiers had returned from foreign deployments like Somalia, DRC, South Sudan and Central African Republic are facing financial difficulties and permanent injuries.
The Ugandan government has defended the deployment, saying it is part of the country’s constitutional responsibility to promote international peace and security and contribute its peacekeeping experience to a multinational stabilisation effort.
The government has cited Objective XIII of Uganda’s National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, Article 210(d) of the Constitution and Section 38 of the UPDF Act as the legal basis for participation in international peace and security operations, subject to parliamentary approval.
Fungaroo and other opposition figures argue that the deployment signals a shift away from the founding principles of NAM and towards closer alignment with US strategic interests.
They also contend that Uganda’s involvement could expose the country to additional security risks and create new enemies.
“Uganda must choose NAM or US military alliance. It must withdraw from NAM, and Museveni must resign as NAM chair,” Fungaroo said.
