• Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni over the weekend professed his love for American President Donald Trump and thanked him for reminding Africans he is not their uncle.

    Referring to US policies to cut foreign aid to African countries, the controversial president urged the leaders to focus on home based solutions like making use of their natural resources instead of relying on foreigners to solve their issues.

    “African leaders should stop ideological meandering and thoroughly discuss and distill positions which can help their people transform using natural resources,” Museveni said.

    “I love Trump. I love that man Trump because that man has told you that he is not your uncle. And I think it is good. For those Africans who feel orphaned, am sorry for them. Let’s come back to our continent and mind our own affairs,” he added.

    He made the remarks at the sixth Tana High Level Forum on security in Africa held from 22 to 23 April 2017 in Bahir Dar town, Amhara regional state under the theme: Natural Resource Governance in Africa.

    Museveni further said education alone will not solve African problems and Africa should stop leaving in the 1960s where they were taught education is key to everything.

    The president said many Africans are like Philippines who are scattered all over the world looking for jobs instead of making use of their natural resources and working at home like the developed South Korea.

    He also questioned foreign investors and urged African leaders to avoid be exploited. “We discovered oil in Uganda about 12 years ago but we have not exploited it because we could not agree with the companies. They wanted to cheat us. I said the oil has been in the ground for the last so many years and it can stay until we agree,” he said.

    He added that the iron ore reserves and uranium deposits in Uganda remains unexplored because he refused to be exploited by Indians who wanted the iron ore reserves at a throw away price while Canadians did not have the plans to develop Uganda

    “It’s the same case with uranium. We have a lot of deposits. Canadians came asking that they transport and process it from Canada. I said it stays until we have built our own nuclear power station. I am not a fool to give firewood to my neighbour when I don’t have firewood in my own home,” he concluded.

    This is not the first time Museveni has expressed his backing for Trump and his ruling ways or the treatment that should befall liberals whom he says are demeaning and false.

    Back in February, Uganda’s leader, fond of lecturing visiting Westerners on African history and ideology, talked of liberals and issues to do with family, forms of democracy, homosexuals, and central planning versus economic liberalisation.

    He accused liberal Western governments for dwelling on areas of difference rather than common ground such as shared commitments to universal education, healthcare, industrialisation, freedom of peoples, the emancipation of women, and anti-terrorism.

    The 6th Tana attracted more than 250, Heads of State and Government, leaders from the private sector, civil society, eminent personalities, and representatives of African and non-African multi-lateral bodies. President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, was the main guest speaker.