Uganda Deal With US Sparks Outrage

Ugandans are questioning a deal with Washington to receive US deportees, including high-profile detainee Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

Concerns:
• No parliamentary approval — opposition MP Mathias Mpuuga says “the whole scheme stinks”
• Uganda already hosts large numbers of refugees from DRC, South Sudan, Sudan
• Unclear what Kampala gains in return — speculation ranges from trade concessions to political cover for President Museveni

Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran living in Maryland with a US family, was detained again this week. Wrongfully deported once before, he was allegedly beaten and subjected to psychological torture in El Salvador’s mega-prison, before US officials admitted an “administrative error.” Now, Uganda is being pushed as his deportation site.

Context:
• Museveni, in power for four decades, faces US sanctions on key allies and growing isolation in Washington.
• Analysts say the deportee deal may help him ease pressure from the Trump administration while pursuing economic advantages.
• Rights groups continue to accuse his government of opposition arrests, journalist harassment, and harsh anti-LGBTQ measures.

Mpuuga: “Uganda can barely care for its own people, let alone serve as America’s dumping ground.”