The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has challenged the government’s decision to deploy Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) troops to Gaza, arguing that the mission undermines Uganda’s position as the current chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Last week, Parliament approved the deployment of UPDF troops to Gaza in Palestine under the International Stabilization Force (ISF), a multinational mission linked to the US-backed Gaza peace plan.
In a statement issued on August 10, 2026, the FDC said Uganda’s participation in the force was inconsistent with the principles of NAM, particularly the movement’s longstanding support for Palestinian self-determination and sovereignty and its opposition to foreign military intervention.
Hassan Fungaroo Kaps, the FDC Shadow Minister for Security, said Uganda’s decision risks compromising the country’s credibility as NAM chair.
“The deployment of the UPDF to Gaza as part of the International Stabilization Force under terms linked to US frameworks creates friction with traditional Non-Aligned Movement principles,” Fungaroo said.
He argued that President Yoweri Museveni’s approval of the deployment places Uganda in a contradictory position, with the country claiming to uphold NAM principles while simultaneously participating in a military framework associated with the United States.
Fungaroo said Uganda’s participation in the mission could weaken the collective position of the Global South on the Palestinian question and undermine the country’s diplomatic standing.
“The Uganda deployment makes Uganda openly become an ally of a superpower, the USA, in its wars of conquest and global domination, contrary to the philosophy of NAM,” he said.
The FDC also questioned the parliamentary process through which the deployment was approved, arguing that MPs were not given sufficient time to scrutinise the mission and assess its implications.
According to the party, the motion was hurriedly tabled and passed without adequate debate, committee scrutiny, risk assessment or a cost-benefit analysis.
Fungaroo said Parliament should have given greater attention to the risks facing Ugandan troops, including the nature of the Gaza conflict, the safety of soldiers, insurance and compensation arrangements in case of injuries or loss of life, as well as the financial cost of the deployment.
“The motion was hurriedly passed without adequate parliamentary debate,” Fungaroo said.
The FDC further questioned who would bear the financial cost of the mission and demanded clarity on arrangements for protecting and compensating UPDF personnel deployed to Gaza.
The party said Uganda should not simultaneously serve as NAM chair and participate in what it described as a US-designed military framework in the Middle East.
The FDC has therefore called on the government to withdraw the UPDF from the ISF mission and urged President Museveni to uphold Uganda’s commitments as NAM chair.
The party also challenged Parliament to reclaim its constitutional role in scrutinising executive decisions, particularly those involving military deployments.
“MPs deserve to have a genuine say over matters of military deployments like this one,” the FDC said.
The party maintained that Uganda’s credibility, sovereignty and standing within NAM depend on maintaining a non-aligned position rather than becoming a military ally of a superpower in conflicts outside the region.
