President Museveni Stands Firm against AGOA Decision
President Museveni downplays the removal of Uganda from AGOA, emphasizing self-reliance and the country’s ability to achieve its goals. He criticizes Western actions as arrogant.
President Museveni has downplayed the decision by the United States to scrap Uganda off the list of beneficiaries accessing the American market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
In a statement on Sunday evening, the president advised Ugandans not to be over concerned by the actions of the US in removing the country off the list of AGOA beneficiaries.
“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. 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,” Museveni said.
Joe Biden, the President of the United States, declared last week that he would withdraw Gabon, Niger, Uganda, and the Central African Republic (CAR) from the AGOA starting in January 2024.
AGOA, which was introduced in 2000, allows exports from nations that meet the requirements to enter the US market duty-free. Although there has already been discussion about whether to extend it and for how long, it is scheduled to expire in September 2025.
Despite this, President Museveni praised the US government for not making the mistake of stopping funding for the purchase of HIV medications for more than 1.4 million Ugandans, noting that Uganda has a backup plan in case this funding is discontinued.
He insisted that all these actions by the West can be described as an act of being arrogant and looking down upon others that he said ought to be rejected by Africans.
“I am told that some of the Arab countries, have similar laws. Why don’t these actors put similar pressures, on them? In 1963, the OAU was founded in Addis Ababa. Only 36 African Countries were independent that time and they are the ones that attended. Almost another 20 countries were not yet independent. That OAU meeting, then, demanded that all the African countries, must be independent, either by peace or by war. The arrogant of the World, mocked us. What can Africans do?”
He went on, “In 1964, Frelimo joined the MPLA in its earlier uprising and began an armed struggle against the Portuguese army in Mozambique.” By 1994, Africans had liberated the entire continent with the help of socialist nations like the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and others.
According to President Museveni, if the right ingredients are applied, Africa has everything it needs to succeed.
Regardless of the actions of some internal critics and external players, Uganda under the NRM is and will continue to prosper. The good news is that not all actors from western countries have the same haughty demeanor. Actually, a lot of people either concur with us or uphold the right values of “live and let live.”
Last week, the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) said the scrapping of AGOA is going to affect Uganda.
“While Ugandan trade through AGOA was insubstantial, growth of our exports to the US and other partners was an important pillar of our economic strategy going forward. Ugandan farmers and small business owners will suffer,” Rwabwogo said.
