PREVIEW
Uganda’s move to accede to Washington’s demands follows those by South Sudan and Congo-Kinshasa
Uganda’s agreement to accept deported migrants from the United States as long as they don't have criminal records and are not unaccompanied minors is the latest success in President Donald Trump’s efforts to persuade African states to accept third-country deportees.
Migration control, including deporting individuals whose asylum or immigration claims have been rejected, has been one of the Trump administration’s priorities in its African policy (AC Vol 66 No 15, Trump ‘cash for migrants’ playbook hits roadblocks in Africa). South Sudan and Congo-Kinshasa are among the governments who have already agreed to take third-country deportees, in Juba’s case after the US threatened to close its embassy in the South Sudanese capital (AC Vol 66 No 11, Salva’s man to overturn US visa ban).
The Trump administration is following the European Union’s ‘cash for migrant control’ approach, although it is unclear what incentives Washington is offering to African states aside from not imposing visa sanctions and tariffs. Civil society groups have warned that the deportation schemes breach international law.
On 20 August, Uganda’s junior foreign affairs minister Henry Okello Oryem said that officials were in discussions about ‘visas, tariffs, sanctions, and related issues’.
Currying favour with Trump may be a smart move for President Yoweri Museveni ahead of elections next January that could turn violent with the long-serving ruler’s legitimacy likely to be challenged.
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