Museveni departs for Algeria on three-day official visit

ENTEBBE, UGANDA: President Yoweri Museveni Saturday morning departed for Algeria for a three-day state visit at the invitation of Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the President of Algeria.

During the State visit, President Museveni and his host will witness the signing of a number of memoranda of understanding between various sectors from the two countries.

“The Heads of State will also attend the first-ever business forum between Algeria and Uganda in Algiers. Uganda and Algeria enjoy warm and fraternal bilateral relations. The two countries have strong regional, continental & international cooperation, especially through regional and international organizations such as the African Union (AU), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) and the United Nations,” a statement issued by State House read on Saturday.

Uganda has managed to export a number of items to Algeria including milk, coffee, beef, poultry and other agricultural products, although exports are still low.

The export earnings from Algeria stood at $2 million, according to Bank of Uganda 2020 report.
Mr Museveni’s visit comes days after officials at Dairy Development Authority (DDA) assured farmers and all partners in the dairy industry that Uganda would soon launch full-scale penetration into Algeria with the country’s powdered milk as the East African nation seeks to expand its market.

While releasing the annual dairy performance report for the year 2021/2022 in Kampala, Mr Samson Akankiza, the DDA executive director said on February 24, 2023 that there is a large market for dairy products in Algeria and Uganda being the second milk producer in East Africa –after Kenya– should take advantage of all the available market opportunities.

Mr Akankiza added that: “Algeria’s milk production is generally low and most of their milk-products are being imported from other countries. Uganda has quality milk which is organically produced meaning we shall have the best product on the market.”

Mr Musvni’s visit comes days after Mr Museveni early this month visited South Africa where he pitched trade opportunities in Uganda.

Mr Museveni, who was in a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria, said a friendly environment in Uganda makes it unnecessary for one to work hard.

“… we at the equator … we have two rainy seasons — that is why these Ugandans are lazy… because life is very easy for them. You don’t have to work very hard. Even a fool can survive in Uganda,” Mr Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, told a powerful business and ministerial team.

President Museveni, 78, visited South Africa to strengthen trade and ties between the two countries. The trade volumes between them have been dropping, with more than 34 giant South African firms leaving Uganda due to insufficient market opportunities. Only 36 South African firms remain in the East African country.