Government has refuted reports in the media alleging that President Yoweri Museveni snubbed the ongoing African Union (AU) Extra Ordinary Heads of State Summit on Continental Free Trade Area in Kigali, Rwanda due to alleged bilateral issues between the two countries.
It is confirmed that President Museveni delegated the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sam Kutesa to represent him and lead Uganda’s delegation at the high level summit.
News outlets have since speculated that the President may have not attended the forum as Uganda is not willing to ratify the African Continental Free Trade Area Treaty which several heads of state are expected to sign on Wednesday.
But asked by this website, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Patrick Mugoya refuted the reports.
“As far as I know we are ready to sign,” Ambassador Mugoya told SoftPower News.
There have also been claims connecting Museveni’s non presence to the recent tense relations between Uganda and Rwanda.
However, Mugoya insists that for Museveni not to attend in person is nothing out of the ordinary since the event wasn’t of a bilateral nature.
“AU summit is a continental meeting and not bilateral. Countries can be represented at various levels and H.E. the President has delegated Hon. Kutesa to head Uganda’s delegation. I don’t see anything abnormal about this,” he said.
Several meetings including the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) of the African Union (AU) and the 18th Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council of the AU (happening today) will precede the signing of the agreement to launch the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) .