Uganda’s state minister for International Relations, Mr. Henry Oryem Okello, expressed condolences over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on Monday.
Mr. Okello described the incident as “saddening” and highlighted the historical ties between Uganda and Iran.
“Iran might be perceived differently elsewhere, but we are a sovereign country that makes its own friends and enemies. We extend our sympathies to the Iranian people for this loss,” Mr. Okello stated. He urged the Iranian people to remain calm during their mourning period and work towards a smooth transition. “We look forward to working with the next President,” he added.
President Raisi, aged 63, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six others, died when their helicopter crashed due to bad weather. Raisi, seen as a hardliner and potential successor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was a significant figure in the Iranian Revolution, which strained Iran’s relations with several Western powers, including the US.
Mr. Okello expressed hope that Raisi’s death would not exacerbate tensions in the Middle East, particularly following Israel’s recent military actions in Gaza. “We hope this tragic incident does not escalate the simmering tensions,” he said.
President Raisi visited Uganda in July last year as part of a three-nation African tour aimed at strengthening bilateral relations. During his visit, he criticized Western powers for “imposing and promoting homosexuality,” claiming they were attempting to “end the generation of human beings.”
Iran, heavily sanctioned by the US and the European Union, along with countries like Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela, Syria, Russia, and Myanmar, uses barter trade with friendly nations in Asia and Latin America to circumvent these sanctions. This strategy became more prominent after former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018.
During the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Kampala, Tehran dispatched Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, who has now assumed the role of interim president pending elections in 50 days.
President Museveni has frequently criticized Western powers for their focus on his prolonged tenure and human rights record, while maintaining a strategic alliance with them in the Great Lakes region.
Despite low trade volumes between Uganda and Iran, the two countries have cooperated in the health and security sectors. Iran has trained Ugandan police officers and initiated the construction of a police hospital in Naguru, although this project has faced delays due to international sanctions.
The developments in Uganda’s relationship with Iran have occasionally drawn the ire of US diplomats.
Under the leadership of former police chief Gen Kale Kayihura, Uganda rejected a US proposal to cancel the Iranian deal in exchange for American funding for a similar hospital project.
Furthermore, WikiLeaks cables revealed that President Museveni’s 2009 visit to Tehran and subsequent agreements with then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, including plans to build Uganda’s oil refinery, displeased Washington.
