AMISOM, Museveni and the Lure of Somali Oil

The author argues that the presence of Saracen Security, a company owned by Salim Saleh (brother of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni), in Somalia risks delegitimizing the AMISOM mission. This involvement, combined with Uganda's history in the DRC, provides ideological ammunition for insurgents to claim that Uganda's military presence is driven by a desire for Somali oil. The document notes that international oil companies, such as Africa Oil (Canada), are actively pursuing exploration licenses in Puntland, further complicating the political landscape.

• The involvement of Saracen Security, a Uganda-registered company owned by Salim Saleh (President Museveni's brother), in training a Somali anti-piracy force has raised questions regarding its legality and political objectives.
• Uganda's military participation in AMISOM is being framed by Somali insurgents as a pursuit of oil, drawing parallels to Uganda's previous involvement in the DRC where mineral plundering was alleged.
• The author suggests that the presence of a company linked to the Ugandan president's family may provide 'ideological cannon fodder' for Islamist forces and undermine the legitimacy of both AMISOM and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG).
• International oil exploration is active in Somalia; specifically, Africa Oil (Canada), Range Resources, and Lion Energy have concluded negotiations with the Puntland government to extend exploration licenses for the Dharoor and Nugaal Valley areas until January 2012.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2011). AMISOM, Museveni and the Lure of Somali Oil. https://saiia.org.za/research/amisom-museveni-and-the-lure-of-somali-oil/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. AMISOM, Museveni and the Lure of Somali Oil. 2011. https://saiia.org.za/research/amisom-museveni-and-the-lure-of-somali-oil/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=AMISOM, Museveni and the Lure of Somali Oil |date=31 January 2011 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/amisom-museveni-and-the-lure-of-somali-oil/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2011amisom, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{AMISOM, Museveni and the Lure of Somali Oil}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2011}, month = jan, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/amisom-museveni-and-the-lure-of-somali-oil/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }