Uganda and the United States are rebuilding their diplomatic relationships after a phone call between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
This is the first official contact with Uganda under the Trump administration, thus indicating that the mood has changed from that of the previous tensions.
The trajectory of bilateral relations had taken a downturn since the gay-rights bill came into force in Uganda in 2023. The United States responded in such a way that aid was put on hold and a number of Ugandan officials were sanctioned.
Nevertheless, the Trump administration has made a decision to go with the option of human rights being subordinated to the cooperation in the relations between the two countries.
At the heart of the re-established cooperation is a deportation pact by which Uganda is going to be the temporary host for selected individuals that are being sent back from the US.
The deal is about those third-country nationals that have been refused asylum in the United States and at the same time, they are not able to go back to their countries of origin or not willing to return there.
Uganda has given certain requirements for individuals to be accepted and those with criminal records and unaccompanied minors are among those being excluded.
This pact is part of Trump’s larger immigration reforms targeting the millions of immigrants who are in the country without proper documentation. Like Honduras, Uganda is receiving deportees, but it is more willing to take people from African countries.
Rubio said that Uganda is playing a key role in keeping the region peaceful and is part of the effort to maintain stability in East Africa through peacekeeping initiatives.
There is still a lack of clarity about the details of the implementation such as where the hosting facilities will be situated, how much the operation is expected to cost (in millions of dollars), and the exact logistical arrangements.
At this point in time, the two governments are still working on the more detailed plan of how this deportation will be carried out in partnership.
