The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has immediately suspended all defence and military cooperation with Türkiye, citing unresolved issues between the two countries.
In a statement issued in Kampala on Saturday, September 19, 2026, Colonel Chris Magezi, Acting Director of Defence Public Information at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs/UPDF, said the suspension would remain in place until the outstanding issues are resolved.
“The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has with immediate effect suspended all and any Defence and Military cooperation with the Republic of Türkiye,” Magezi said.
“The measure will remain in force until outstanding issues of mutual defence and military cooperation between the two countries are resolved.”
The UPDF did not disclose the nature of the outstanding issues, nor did it specify which existing programmes, agreements or activities have been affected.
Suspension follows growing tensions
The announcement comes amid increasingly strained relations between Kampala and Ankara.
A day before the UPDF announcement, supporters of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) demonstrated outside the Turkish Embassy in Kampala, demanding that Türkiye hand over Ugandan government critic Fred Lumbuye, who has been based in Türkiye. The protest was reported by the Associated Press and other outlets.
However, the UPDF has not officially linked the military cooperation suspension to Lumbuye or the September 18 demonstration. The army’s statement only refers to “outstanding issues of mutual defence and military cooperation.”
The dispute has also unfolded against broader disagreements involving Türkiye’s growing security and economic role in Somalia, where Uganda has maintained a long-running military presence in support of Somali security efforts. Reports have linked these tensions to public statements by UPDF Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, although the army has not identified Somalia as a reason for the latest suspension.
Uganda and Türkiye had expanded defence ties
The suspension marks a significant interruption to a defence relationship that had expanded considerably in recent years.
Uganda and Türkiye signed a military cooperation framework in 2016 covering areas including military training, exercises, exchanges, logistics, intelligence, peacekeeping and defence-industry cooperation. A separate defence-industries agreement was also signed that year.
The partnership had continued to develop. In December 2024, the UPDF said the two countries were deepening cooperation in the defence industry, with discussions involving technology and potential opportunities for Ugandan and Turkish defence companies.
The UPDF has not announced when the cooperation could resume. Its latest statement makes clear that the suspension will remain until the outstanding matters between Kampala and Ankara are resolved.
For now, the announcement places the future of Uganda-Türkiye defence cooperation on hold while leaving the specific issues behind the decision undisclosed.
