Investigative journalist and NBS TV news anchor Canary Mugume has weighed in on the growing diplomatic tensions between Uganda and Turkey, arguing that Uganda’s long-running military presence in Somalia has helped create a stable environment for Turkey to expand its economic interests.
Mugume pointed to Turkey’s involvement in Somalia’s Mogadishu port and airport operations, military training programmes and deep-sea oil exploration, including activities launched by the Çağrı Bey vessel in April 2026.
His remarks come amid heightened tensions between Kampala and Ankara after the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) announced the suspension of all defence and military cooperation with Turkey on September 19, 2026.
The announcement followed a protest at the Turkish Embassy in Kampala demanding the extradition of Ugandan activist Fred Lumbuye. However, the UPDF did not publicly identify the specific outstanding issues behind the suspension or directly link the decision to the protest.
Uganda has maintained a significant military presence in Somalia since 2007 through successive African Union missions, including the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the current African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
The country’s deployments have also received financial support from international partners, including the United States and the European Union.
Mugume’s comments have brought renewed attention to the relationship between Uganda’s security role in Somalia and Turkey’s expanding economic and strategic interests in the country.
Turkey has developed a growing presence in Somalia through infrastructure, security cooperation and commercial activities, while Uganda has continued contributing troops to efforts aimed at supporting stability and combating militant threats.
UPDF is one of the largest troop contributors in Somalia, so it helps keep stable the country where Turkey has invested heavily. Turkey’s investments include military training, a port, airport, maritime interests and recently deep-sea oil exploration off Somalia in April was… https://t.co/SCawHASpBG
— Canary Mugume (@CanaryMugume) September 19, 2026
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