The president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, has warned foreign states and multinationals that the continued exploitation of African resources with no visible returns is a formula for political instability.
Museveni attributed the persistent coups and armed conflicts in West and Central African states to the actions of colonialists and neo-colonialists, while speaking at the Uganda-South Africa Trade and Investment Summit in Kampala. The summit was organized by state agencies from both countries and supported by South African companies in Uganda, such as MTN, Nile Breweries, Stanbic, and Absa Banks, local media reported.
"As I closed the Uganda-South Africa Trade & Investment Summit at Speke Resort, Munyonyo, I appealed to the South African investors to join forces with us to ensure that they take advantage of the economic potential of Uganda. This will help build a strong economy for the two countries and Africa," Museveni said on social media.
"This summit is crucial to link Uganda's business potential with South Africa's. The South African companies operating in Uganda, like MTN and Stanbic Bank, should join the government's efforts to help all Ugandans enter the money economy to achieve the desired socio-economic transformation," the president stated.
He recalled the fact that in less than three years, the region has recorded seven government takeovers, with the most recent being in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Gabon.
During the summit, the president suggested that France, which has been obtaining uranium from Niger, should have made use of some of it to build power plants in the African country. The same, he said, happens with other commodities like coffee and other minerals.
According to him, the colonizers of the countries affected did not care about the welfare of the people and continued "stealing" the resources, due to the failure to build strong armies.
He reiterated his opposition to the export of Uganda's raw materials, including uranium, which he believes will never happen for as long as he is in charge, as cited by local media.
Museveni expressed that many people were making money in Uganda without considering the welfare of Ugandans and customers.
The summit concluded with a series of resolutions and recommendations referred to as 'The Kampala Declaration'. Agreements were reached to improve transportation and logistics infrastructure between the two countries as part of the results.