“We could go to war over sea access” – Museveni warns

The President expressed frustration over what he termed the “selfish mindset” of some coastal nations, saying that oceans and ports should serve the entire continent.

Mbale, Uganda: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has warned that Uganda and other landlocked African countries could face future wars if their access to the Indian Ocean, a critical route for trade and strategic defence, is obstructed.

Speaking during a live radio talk show at Mbale State Lodge on Sunday, the President described the idea of any single country claiming exclusive ownership of the sea as “madness,” urging East African nations to accelerate political and economic integration for collective security and shared prosperity.

“That is why I say, you people, why don’t you see how to unite? Because Uganda, even if you want to build a navy, how can you build it? We don’t have access to the sea,” Museveni said. “The political organisation in Africa is so irrational. Some countries have no access to the sea for economic purposes, but also for defence purposes. You are stuck. How do I export my products?”

“The Ocean Belongs to All of Us” – Museveni

The President expressed frustration over what he termed the “selfish mindset” of some coastal nations, saying that oceans and ports should serve the entire continent.

Using a metaphor of a condominium block, Museveni likened Africa’s geographic setup to a shared residence where all floors have equal rights to the compound.

“How can you say that you are on a block of flats and the compound belongs only to the ground floor? That compound belongs to the whole block,” he argued. “Uganda is landlocked inside here. But where is my ocean? My ocean is the Indian Ocean. I am entitled to it. To say it belongs only to those on the coast is madness.”

He warned that failure to address this imbalance through regional unity and cooperation could sow seeds of future conflict. “In future, we are going to have wars,” Museveni cautioned, adding that such wars could arise from inequitable control of regional trade routes and maritime access.

Push for Regional Integration

The President said East African political and economic integration remains a top priority in his 2026 presidential manifesto, emphasizing that unity is the only path to stability, prosperity, and global competitiveness.

“You people, you better unite economically for the sake of prosperity,” he said. “If you want prosperity, you need market. But if you want stability and strength in the world, you must unite. The big ones—the Americans, Chinese, Russians, and Indians—are the ones who go to the moon. Size matters.”

Museveni noted that only through collective strength can East African nations secure their sovereignty, develop regional industries, and ensure long-term peace. “That is why we say, you people, why don’t you look at East Africa so that we deal with the issue of strategic security?” he said.

Uganda’s struggle for access to the Indian Ocean has historical roots. In the 1970s, Kenya blocked Ugandan cargo routes following diplomatic tensions with the late President Idi Amin. A similar situation recurred shortly after President Museveni came to power in the mid-1980s.

Although both countries have since restored close relations under the East African Community (EAC) framework, disagreements over port logistics, trade facilitation, and regional infrastructure, including the Standard Gauge Railway and oil pipeline routes, have persisted.

Museveni’s comments reignite debate over shared sovereignty and equitable access to strategic maritime resources, a topic increasingly relevant as regional economies expand.