Iran President’s visit vindicates NRM open door policy

Last year, during the visit by Russia’s Foreign Affairs minister, Mr Sergei Lavrov, President Museveni revealed that he maintains a kind of “open door policy” as a key feature of diplomatic engagements.

This attitude allows him to engage with all and seek opportunities that could benefit Uganda. In his own words, President Museveni said, “How can we be against somebody who has never harmed us?”

During Mr Lavrov’s visit, President Museveni made the case for Africa to have the right to make her own friends and enemies instead of being dictated by the global powers that be.  For long, media and analysts alike in the West have branded Mr Museveni as an ally of the West creating a wrong impression that he does their billing despite his personal convictions as a Pan-Africanist who maintains a non-alignment stance.

Because of that image, it always comes as a surprise to some when President Museveni chooses to host leaders who do not align with Western hegemonic policies, like Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi.

His open door policy has been absolved in that many a nation find Uganda a safe place to engage and build rapport with.

President Museveni’s seniority and experience at the helm of the continent make him a kind of most sought-after leader with whom others can trust to have solid relations.

The election of Uganda to host the Non-Aligned Movement speaks to this.

However, as President Museveni has indicated before, it would be foolhardy to ignore the people who have shown solidarity with Africa over the years and also states that did not colonise the continent with like some Western countries.

A month before Mr Lavrov’s visit, Cuba’s Foreign Affairs minister Bruno Rodriguez had also been in the country.

The “open door policy” allows a nation to benefit from the other, something African nations should embrace to avoid being under the influence of a particular global power.

The visit by Iran President Raisi points in the same direction and further strengthens relations between Kampala and Tehran.  Mr Raisi becomes Iran’s third president to visit Uganda. All three have visited with the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in power.

Although the west has isolated Iran due to her pursuit of a nuclear programme, like President Museveni has indicated before, Uganda and Iran can find ways of maintaining their engagement that dates back to the mid-1980s.

When President Museveni contracted Covid-19, Iran’s ambassador to Uganda, Mr Majid Saffar, was among the diplomats who made a courtesy call in the Office of the NRM National Chairman (ONC) in Kyambogo to wish him a quick recovery, an underrated sign that the two nations enjoy warm relations.

Uganda needs to tap on technical know-how from Iran to grow her nascent oil and gas sector.  If we pursued a policy of non-engagement with countries unfairly demonised by the west, Uganda would lose.

Uganda will host the Non-aligned Movement in January 2024 and President Raisi’s visit should, therefore, send a clear message about Uganda’s credentials.

Alex Joel Masereka, media officer, Office of the National Chairman of NRM and a pan-Africanist.

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