By Karim Were
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Uganda supports Israel’s existence and Palestinian statehood while urging respect for international law and rejecting identity-based politics.
KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda has renewed its call for a peaceful resolution to conflicts in the Middle East, saying the region’s long-running disputes should be addressed through dialogue, justice and respect for international law.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 21, 2026, the Ugandan government said it does not support wars it considers unjust and urged parties involved in Middle East conflicts to pursue peaceful solutions.
Uganda also reaffirmed its position that both the State of Israel should be recognised and Palestinians should have their own state, placing the country’s position within the broader framework of a negotiated settlement to the region’s conflicts.
The statement additionally addressed the sensitive issue of nuclear energy, saying peaceful nuclear activities should be conducted in accordance with international law.
At the same time, Uganda warned against ethnic and religious identity politics, arguing that sectarian divisions involving Jews, Christians, Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims can deepen conflict rather than resolve it.
“Our view is that the politics of identity (ethnic, religious) is an ideological and strategic blunder and a poison for any situation,” the ministry said.
Uganda calls for peaceful settlement
The Foreign Affairs Ministry’s statement comes amid continuing instability and conflict across parts of the Middle East, including the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict and wider regional security tensions.
Uganda said its position remains centred on peaceful conflict resolution rather than military confrontation.
The government argued that many of the complications surrounding the Middle East have been aggravated by the failure of different actors to address the underlying issues in a manner that is considered just and acceptable to the parties involved.
The ministry did not announce a new Ugandan mediation initiative or identify a specific diplomatic process that Kampala intends to lead.
Instead, the statement set out Uganda’s broader diplomatic position on the conflicts, including its support for peaceful engagement and recognition of the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians.
This position is significant because Uganda maintains diplomatic relations with Israel while also expressing support for Palestinian statehood.
The government’s latest statement therefore seeks to frame Uganda’s position around the coexistence of two principles: recognition of Israel and support for the Palestinian people’s right to their own state.
Support for Israel and Palestinian statehood
One of the clearest elements of the statement was Uganda’s appeal for parties to recognise Israel and the rights of Palestinians to have their own state.
The position corresponds broadly with the long-standing international debate over a two-state settlement, although the ministry’s statement did not announce a new proposal for implementing such an arrangement.
Uganda’s diplomatic position has previously included support for peaceful negotiations and the rights of Palestinians.
The country’s approach also reflects the wider African and international diplomatic emphasis on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through political rather than military means.
The latest statement is consequently important not because it introduces a completely new position, but because it reiterates Kampala’s stance at a time when regional tensions remain a major international concern.
Warning against identity politics
The ministry devoted particular attention to the role of religious and ethnic identity in conflicts.
It referred to divisions involving Jews, Christians, Sunnis and Shias and argued that political mobilisation around identity can make already difficult conflicts more complicated.
Uganda’s statement described identity-based politics as a strategic mistake capable of producing further instability.
The government also linked the issue to Africa’s own historical experience, saying some African countries, including Uganda in the past, had suffered because of identity-based politics.
The argument is consistent with a theme frequently advanced by President Yoweri Museveni, who has repeatedly warned against politics organised around ethnicity, religion or other forms of identity.
Museveni has previously used Uganda’s post-independence history to argue that political competition based on sectarian identities contributed to instability and conflict.
In March 2026, for example, Museveni drew a direct comparison between Uganda’s historical experience and conflicts in the Middle East, arguing that identity-based politics can undermine societies and prevent economic development.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry’s latest statement therefore fits into a broader Ugandan diplomatic argument that political interests and peaceful coexistence should take precedence over sectarian mobilisation.
Uganda’s position on nuclear energy
The statement also addressed nuclear energy, another major issue in the Middle East’s security environment.
Uganda said nuclear energy used for peaceful purposes should be governed by international law.
The ministry did not identify a particular country in this section of the statement. It therefore does not amount to a specific accusation against any individual government.
Instead, the position places Uganda within the broader international debate over the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear non-proliferation and regional security.
Nuclear activities in the Middle East have long attracted international attention because of concerns about proliferation and the possibility that disputes over nuclear programmes could contribute to wider military confrontation.
Uganda’s emphasis on international law indicates that Kampala’s position is that nuclear technology should not be considered separately from the international legal and diplomatic framework governing its use.
The statement’s wording also leaves room for peaceful nuclear applications, rather than opposing nuclear energy itself.
Middle East tensions have implications beyond the region
Although the conflicts addressed by Uganda are geographically distant from East Africa, their consequences can extend beyond the Middle East.
Conflict in the region can affect international energy markets, shipping routes, food prices, migration patterns, humanitarian conditions and global diplomatic relations.
The Horn of Africa is particularly exposed to developments in the Middle East because of its geographic proximity across the Red Sea and its economic and security links with Gulf countries.
Uganda itself has substantial diplomatic and economic interests in the wider Middle East.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains missions in Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh, while Uganda has also maintained diplomatic representation connected to Iran and other countries in the region.
The government has increasingly linked its Middle East engagement to economic and commercial diplomacy.
In June 2026, Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development held a strategic retreat in Istanbul involving Ugandan missions in Riyadh, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ankara. The meeting focused on expanding Uganda’s trade and investment opportunities in the Gulf and Middle East.
This means regional instability is not only a foreign-policy concern for Kampala but can also have economic and consular implications.
Security concerns for Ugandan citizens
Uganda’s response to the Middle East situation has previously included direct warnings to Ugandan nationals living or travelling in affected countries.
In February 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a security notice to Ugandans in Iran as the regional security situation deteriorated.
The ministry advised Ugandan citizens who could do so to leave Iran through available means and urged those remaining to take precautions, remain indoors when necessary and monitor developments.
Uganda also announced the withdrawal of non-essential staff from its embassy in Tehran for safety reasons and said consular services would be severely limited temporarily. The government further advised Ugandans to suspend travel to the Middle East until further notice because of the uncertain international travel environment.
The earlier advisory demonstrates that Kampala’s Middle East policy includes both diplomatic positions and practical measures aimed at protecting Ugandan citizens.
It also illustrates how developments in the region can have direct consequences for African governments whose citizens live, work or travel there.
Concern over spillover into the Horn of Africa
Uganda’s latest statement also comes shortly after the country raised concerns about the potential spillover effects of Middle East conflicts on the Horn of Africa.
At the 74th Extraordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Council of Ministers in Djibouti in September, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Affairs Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo called for stronger regional cooperation to address interconnected political, security, humanitarian and climate challenges.
Kasolo specifically urged IGAD member states to examine the effects of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on the Horn of Africa and the wider subregion.
That warning is significant because the Horn of Africa and the Middle East are separated by the Red Sea but remain closely connected through trade, migration, maritime routes and security interests.
Instability in one region can therefore create pressure in the other.
For countries such as Uganda, which rely heavily on regional transport networks and have citizens working throughout the Middle East, prolonged instability can create economic and humanitarian risks.
Uganda’s broader diplomatic approach
The latest statement also fits within the government’s wider foreign-policy approach, which has placed emphasis on diplomacy, regional cooperation and economic engagement.
Foreign Affairs Minister Adonia Ayebare has been overseeing Uganda’s diplomatic engagement with international partners, while State Minister Haruna Kasolo has focused on regional cooperation.
The ministry’s recent activities have included efforts to strengthen Uganda’s economic diplomacy, regional cooperation and bilateral relations.
In September, the ministry convened an Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Performance Review Retreat to assess Uganda’s diplomatic efforts to attract trade and investment and convert identified opportunities into tangible economic outcomes.
This broader diplomatic agenda helps explain why Kampala is closely monitoring developments in regions such as the Middle East.
Uganda’s interests include maintaining diplomatic relationships, protecting citizens abroad, strengthening trade and investment opportunities and supporting international efforts to prevent wider conflict.
The importance of international law
Another central feature of Uganda’s statement is its emphasis on international law.
The ministry’s position on peaceful nuclear energy specifically refers to the importance of conducting such activities within the framework of international law.
The broader call for peaceful conflict resolution also reflects the principle that disputes between states and political actors should be addressed through established diplomatic and legal mechanisms wherever possible.
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For smaller and developing states, respect for international law is often viewed as an important component of multilateral diplomacy because it provides a common framework for addressing disputes between countries with different levels of military and economic power.
Uganda has also participated in multilateral discussions on Middle East issues through the United Nations.
In April 2026, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, addressed the UN Security Council during discussions on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
The latest Foreign Affairs Ministry statement therefore continues Uganda’s engagement with the issue at both national and multilateral levels.
No new mediation initiative announced
While the ministry has expressed a clear position, the September 21 statement does not indicate that Uganda is launching a new mediation effort.
That distinction is important.
A government expressing support for negotiations and peaceful settlement is different from formally offering to mediate between conflicting parties.
The statement instead communicates Uganda’s principles and expectations concerning the conflict.
It calls for recognition of Israel and Palestinian statehood, peaceful resolution of disputes, adherence to international law and rejection of identity-based political mobilisation.
Any future diplomatic initiative would require separate announcements and engagement with the relevant parties.
Implications for Uganda
For Uganda, developments in the Middle East have implications in several areas.
First, the safety of Ugandan nationals working and living in the region remains a diplomatic priority.
Second, Uganda’s economic interests are tied to Middle Eastern countries through trade, investment, labour migration and other forms of cooperation.
Third, instability in the region can affect the wider Horn of Africa, particularly through maritime security, trade routes and humanitarian movements.
Finally, Uganda’s position contributes to its broader engagement in international discussions concerning conflict resolution and multilateral diplomacy.
The government therefore has an interest in promoting stability while maintaining relationships with the different actors involved.
Conclusion
Uganda has reaffirmed its call for peaceful resolution of conflicts in the Middle East, while supporting both Israel’s existence and the right of Palestinians to have their own state.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ September 21 statement also stressed that peaceful nuclear activities should comply with international law and warned against ethnic and religious identity politics.
The position reflects Uganda’s longstanding emphasis on dialogue, political solutions and what its leaders describe as the dangers of sectarian politics.
For Kampala, the Middle East crisis is not simply a distant geopolitical issue. The region’s instability can affect Ugandan citizens abroad, trade and investment relationships, international energy and transport networks, and security conditions in the wider Horn of Africa.
Uganda’s latest statement does not announce a new mediation initiative, but it clearly sets out the principles the government says should guide efforts to resolve the region’s conflicts: peaceful engagement, recognition of the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians, respect for international law and rejection of politics that deepens divisions along ethnic or religious lines.
As tensions continue to shape international diplomacy, Uganda’s challenge will be to maintain these principles while protecting its citizens and economic interests and contributing constructively to multilateral efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace.
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