Speaking during a public address on Sunday, November 9, President Museveni described the current situation — where coastal nations have full control over the ocean while inland countries rely entirely on them — as “unfair and unsustainable.”
According to Tuko.co.ke, the veteran leader argued that Africa’s geography and resources should be shared equitably among all countries.
He likened the continent to a block of apartments, saying it made no sense for some tenants to deny others access to the shared compound.
“My ocean is the Indian Ocean. It belongs to me. This idea that it only belongs to those on the coast is madness,” Museveni said.
Museveni emphasized that landlocked countries like Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Burundi face enormous economic challenges due to their dependence on coastal nations for trade and imports.
“My ocean is the Indian Ocean. It belongs to me. This idea that it only belongs to those on the coast is madness,” Museveni said.
Museveni emphasized that landlocked countries like Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Burundi face enormous economic challenges due to their dependence on coastal nations for trade and imports.
He cited Uganda’s heavy reliance on Kenya’s Mombasa Port and Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam Port, saying such dependence places inland countries at a strategic disadvantage.
“In Uganda, even if we want to build a navy, how can we? We have no access to the sea,” he remarked.
“In Uganda, even if we want to build a navy, how can we? We have no access to the sea,” he remarked.
“If we continue with this exclusion, it could cause problems in the future.”
The president’s comments come at a time when Uganda and Kenya’s trade relations have been strained.
The president’s comments come at a time when Uganda and Kenya’s trade relations have been strained.
Earlier this year, Kampala threatened to shift its fuel import operations to Tanzania after Kenya introduced a new open-tender system that Uganda said limited its access to affordable petroleum products.
Museveni’s latest remarks appear to revive long-standing regional debates about economic sovereignty, resource sharing, and interdependence among East African nations.
Museveni’s latest remarks appear to revive long-standing regional debates about economic sovereignty, resource sharing, and interdependence among East African nations.
His assertion that the Indian Ocean “belongs to all Africans” has sparked both criticism and support among political observers.
Some analysts see the statement as a call for stronger regional integration and shared management of critical trade routes through mechanisms like the East African Community (EAC).
Some analysts see the statement as a call for stronger regional integration and shared management of critical trade routes through mechanisms like the East African Community (EAC).
Others, however, interpret it as a provocative warning that could inflame diplomatic tensions if misunderstood.
Economists argue that while landlocked nations have legitimate concerns, ocean access is typically governed by international law and regional agreements — not by shared ownership.
Economists argue that while landlocked nations have legitimate concerns, ocean access is typically governed by international law and regional agreements — not by shared ownership.
They note that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) already provides frameworks for cooperation between coastal and inland states, particularly in matters of trade and transit.
Still, Museveni’s warning reflects a growing frustration among landlocked countries that feel economically disadvantaged.
Still, Museveni’s warning reflects a growing frustration among landlocked countries that feel economically disadvantaged.
Uganda’s reliance on its neighbours for fuel, imports, and exports has often been a sticking point in regional politics.
The Ugandan leader concluded by calling for collective African ownership of shared natural assets, insisting that no country should monopolize access to vital trade routes and resources.
The Ugandan leader concluded by calling for collective African ownership of shared natural assets, insisting that no country should monopolize access to vital trade routes and resources.
0 Comments