Politics
Gen. Saleh Calls for “Political Ceasefire” Amidst EU Concerns, Urges Dialogue Ahead of 2026 Polls
General Salim Saleh, a senior presidential advisor on security and coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), is championing a “political ceasefire” and fostering inter-party dialogue in Uganda. His call comes as European Union ambassadors express significant concerns over controversial online comments attributed to Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
During a retreat in Gulu on Tuesday, EU envoys conveyed their alarm regarding recent tweets from Gen. Kainerugaba that reportedly contained threats of expulsion, arrest, and embassy closures against foreign diplomats. Jan Sadek, the EU Ambassador to Uganda, directly raised these issues with Gen. Saleh.
Gen. Saleh, also known by his nom de guerre Caleb Akandwanaho, assured the delegation that the matter involving the Chief of Defence Forces would be addressed through appropriate diplomatic channels. “There should be an immediate ceasefire for meaningful dialogue to take place,” Saleh stated, pressing the EU to facilitate such engagement. Ambassador Sadek subsequently indicated his agreement to pursue the matter diplomatically.
The EU delegation’s meeting with Saleh primarily focused on OWC’s critical role in Northern Uganda’s post-conflict transformation.
Saleh underscored the urgent need to de-escalate political tensions as Uganda approaches the 2026 general election. He cautioned that a surge in criminality and hate speech, particularly from some opposition politicians, risks derailing national development programs and could potentially lead to widespread violence. Drawing a parallel to the 2011 Arab Spring, Saleh warned of how minor tensions can rapidly escalate. “This is why security responds the way it does to prevent escalations,” he explained, noting that authorities are actively studying the root causes of election violence.
Gen. Saleh detailed OWC’s primary objective of ensuring food security for Uganda’s burgeoning population, projected to reach 60 million by 2040. He also highlighted ongoing studies into the “land-capital balance sheet,” identifying insufficient capital for production and inadequate labour in the Acholi sub-region as key challenges.
He reiterated that Uganda’s economic transformation is a core priority, as outlined in the 2004 Defence White Paper, which identified 134 threats to the country’s economic trajectory to 2040, with only four being military-related.
Saleh accused the opposition of conducting a “deliberate campaign of falsehoods” against the government both in Parliament and on social media. “When you say these guys are the biggest thieves, it becomes a narrative in Parliament and the civil society,” he asserted. “So, let us ceasefire and develop the capacity to listen to each other, which we did from the first day when we listened to the National Unity Platform.”
He emphasised OWC’s core mission to integrate citizens into the money economy through productive engagement. While acknowledging the EU’s consistent investment in Northern Uganda, Saleh criticised many interventions for lacking robust sustainability plans, leading to underutilised infrastructure such as food warehouses in the region.
Saleh called upon a team of intellectuals, led by OWC principal advisor David Pulkol, to present papers on re-evaluating donor community interventions in Northern Uganda to bolster the region’s economic portfolio.
Pulkol, in his presentation, passionately argued for the urgent economic uplift of northern Uganda. Despite receiving 3.92 trillion Ugandan shillings (approximately $1 billion) in donor investment since 2003, the region remains the second poorest in the country, after Karamoja, according to Uganda Bureau of Statistics studies, grappling with high poverty and low literacy rates.
Pulkol suggested that while investments in health, gender, and water are “socially appealing,” they are “economically timid.” He proposed that the EU invest $10 billion in the East African Crude Oil Pipeline and 100 million Euros in Uganda’s innovation fund and value addition to significantly drive economic transformation. He also advocated for integrating new initiatives with peacebuilding, political stability, and supporting electoral dialogue.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sallie Kayunga Simba, a commissioner at the Electoral Commission, affirmed the commission’s readiness for the 2026 elections. She noted that electoral demarcation and voter register updates have proceeded peacefully, with a tribunal handling only a few complaints. She added that the matter concerning the recent Kawempe North Parliamentary byelection is currently before the court.
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