Ugandan military chief pledges to support Israel against Iran in viral social media blitz

(SeaPRwire) –   Uganda’s top military commander has indicated that the nation’s armed forces might join the conflict with Iran in support of Israel, following a series of social media statements that gained widespread attention this week.

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba—the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and widely regarded as his probable successor—has spent this week posting extensively on X in defense of Israel.

“We support Israel because of our Christian faith,” he wrote, while adding in a separate post, “Uganda represents the David that the world overlooked and ignored. We shall overcome the giant, Goliath.”

Kainerugaba launched his social media campaign with the statement: “We desire an immediate end to the Middle East conflict. The world has grown weary of it. However, any discussion of annihilating or overcoming Israel will draw us into the battle—on Israel’s side!”

The Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) comprises 45,000 active-duty soldiers and approximately 35,000 reservists, according to the defense ministry. The country is believed to possess roughly 240 tanks and more than 1,000 armored combat vehicles.

The country also maintains substantial military engagements in war-torn nations. Its troops serve with an African Union contingent combating the Islamist al-Shabab militants in Somalia. Ugandan forces remain deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to fight the Islamic State-affiliated ADF terrorist organization.

Although Iran is not believed to have direct interests in Uganda, it has faced allegations of clandestine activities in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, such as operating smuggling rings and pursuing contentious diplomatic and economic initiatives with dubious intentions across the region. Despite being landlocked, Uganda reportedly remains concerned about Iran’s strategic ambitions to establish influence in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea regional waters.

In a separate post, he declared, “Israel supported us when we were insignificant during the 1980s and 1990s. Why would we not protect her now that our GDP has reached $100 billion—among the biggest in Africa?”

Israel has previously provided training to Ugandan forces, including the general. Uganda is known to uphold a robust strategic alliance with Israel, featuring tight security and intelligence cooperation.

Relations were not always positive. In 1976, under dictator Idi Amin’s vehement anti-Israel stance, four terrorists seized Air France Flight 139 en route from Tel Aviv to France, redirecting it to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. On the night of July 3, 1976, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) executed a long-distance rescue operation, initially designated Operation Thunderbolt, to liberate 106 predominantly Israeli captives.

The operation was later renamed Operation Yonatan in honor of its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu—older brother of Israel’s current prime minister—who was fatally shot by a Ugandan sniper during the assault. The Israeli troops achieved a successful rescue, though four hostages, seven hijackers, and 45 Ugandan troops lost their lives.

Kainerugaba has announced plans to install a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu at the precise location in Entebbe Airport where he died, as an additional goodwill gesture toward Israel. This week, Kainerugaba shared an image of the monument on X, calling it “a sneak peek.”