You’re not so important to us! Museveni hits at Biden administration over AGOA trade deal

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President Museveni has scoffed at the US government for “overestimating” itself following its decision to scrap Uganda off the beneficiaries of AGOA trade deal as well as issuing a business advisory, discouraging American investments in Uganda.

According to Mr Museveni, Uganda has the capacity and capability to manage its own economic affairs without any help from the West.

“Some of these actors in the Western World overestimate themselves and underestimate the freedom fighters of Africa. On account of some of the freedom fighters making mistakes of philosophy, ideology and strategy, some of the foreign actors, erroneously think that African Countries cannot move forward without their support,” he said in a statement posted on X on Sunday, November 5, 2023.

“Certainly, as far as Uganda is concerned, we have the capacity to achieve our growth and transformation targets, even if some of the actors do not support us,” he added.

Last week, the US President Joe Biden wrote to the Senate and the US House of Representatives, indicating that he was going to suspend Uganda and three other African countries off the AGOA beneficiaries list for their poor human rights record. This follows Uganda’s passing of the Anti-homosexuality law.

On Sunday, Mr Museveni accused the US government of double standards in its condemnation of countries on human rights.

“These pressures from outside are joogo (dharau – looking down upon somebody, underrating somebody) towards the Africans and must be rejected. I am told that some of the Arab Countries, have similar laws. Why don’t these actors put similar pressures, on them?” he said.

The President listed eight points that he said are critical for Uganda’s development.

“The eight points are: patriotism – not following politics of identity but following politics of interests; supporting the private sector; economic infrastructure development to lower the costs of doing business in the economy; regional integration to create big markets that can absorb our products; working with foreigners who respect us; eliminate corruption; social infrastructure to develop the human resource through universal education and health, and protecting the environment that controls our water and our rain,” he said.

“Uganda, under the NRM, is and will succeed, regardless of what some of the external actors and internal detractors do. The further good news, is that not all the Western Countries’ actors are of the same arrogant attitude. Many, actually, either agree with us or believe in the correct principles of live and let live. Even in the colonial times, some Western actors supported our anti-colonial struggle. People like Fenner Brockway, Dingle Foot, Olof Palme, etc., supported us.” He said.