Uganda Offers Military Support to Ethiopia Amid Collapsing Ties with Eritrea – In a significant escalation of regional tensions in the Horn of Africa, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba son of President Yoweri Museveni has publicly pledged full support for Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
Speaking via social media platform X, Gen. Kainerugaba declared that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) stands ready to deploy troops to Ethiopia if formally requested by Addis Ababa.
> “We are determined to support our Ethiopian brothers in this latest conflict. If the Ethiopian leadership requests our assistance we will deploy the invincible UPDF,” the general stated.
The pledge comes as diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have collapsed once again. On October 1, Ethiopia announced the closure of its embassy in Asmara and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, accusing them of activities threatening national security. Eritrea responded by severing all diplomatic ties.
The breakdown coincides with renewed heavy fighting in northern Ethiopia between federal forces and a Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)-led opposition alliance. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of backing the rebels claims Asmara strongly denies.
Gen. Kainerugaba’s statement follows a recent briefing he received from Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Uganda, Etsegenet Bezabih Yimenu, on the security situation in the north. He had earlier expressed UPDF solidarity with the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and called for an immediate end to hostilities while urging respect for the 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement.
Analysts warn the combination of Uganda’s offer of military assistance and the complete rupture in Ethiopia-Eritrea relations raises the risk of the conflict spilling beyond Ethiopia’s borders and further destabilising the already volatile Horn of Africa.