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President Park Geun-hye and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni walk together at the launch of the Korea Air program in Mpigi

When the Blue House announced that Uganda had agreed to end military cooperation with North Korea during South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s visit to the country, some members of the Ugandan government were apparently not in the loop. In a bizarre spectacle, the vice spokesperson of the Ugandan government denied the Blue House’s announcement in the foreign press, even as Uganda’s Foreign Minister confirmed the announcement in the local press.

On May 29, Uganda’s deputy government spokesman Shaban Bantariza took issue with the announcement by Blue House Spokesperson Jung Yeon-Guk that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni had given orders to halt military cooperation with North Korea. Bantariza told AFP that the president had not made any such “public declaration.”

According to Reuters, Jung quoted President Museveni as saying during the summit that “We instructed officials to faithfully enforce the UN Security Council resolutions, including the halt of cooperation with North Korea in the security, military and police sectors.”

“That is not true. It is propaganda,” Bantariza was quoted as saying by AFP. “Even if (such an order) was to be made by the president, it cannot be public. It cannot be therefore true and it can’t happen. That is international politics at play.”

After the controversy erupted, the South Korean Foreign Ministry distributed a local interview during which the Ugandan Foreign Minister said exactly what the Blue House had announced.

In the interview, which appeared on a news program on local broadcaster NBS, Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa said that the country would be halting its cooperation with North Korea in keeping with UN sanctions outlined in Security Council Resolution No. 2270. Kutesa also said that Uganda was opposed to nuclear proliferation and that North Korea‘s nuclear development had a negative impact on the world and was in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“President Museveni promised to halt cooperation with North Korea during the summit, and we made the announcement after receiving confirmation from Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa, who was present,” said an official at the Blue House.

An official at South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that Bantariza had acknowledged his mistake and confirmed that the remarks by the foreign minister represent the Ugandan government‘s official position.

“Dozens of North Korean military and police officials are believed to be working in Uganda as military trainers under a cooperation programme,” AFP reported.

Museveni had long maintained close ties with North Korea, visiting the North on three occasions and even meeting former North Korean leader Kim Il-sung.　

Museveni has been leader of Uganda since 1986, when former president Idi Amin was deposed.

When Museveni visited South Korea in May 2013, he was the first foreign leader to do so since Park’s inauguration as president. He also had a summit with Park in New York at the time of the 2014 UN General Assembly.

By Lee Je-hun and Jeon Jeong-yun, staff reporters

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