AMISOM, Museveni and the Lure of Somali Oil

This research paper examines the role of Uganda in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), highlighting the tension between peacekeeping efforts and allegations of ulterior motives related to oil and mineral resources. It specifically discusses the controversy surrounding Saracen Security, a company owned by the brother of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and the potential for these activities to undermine the legitimacy of AMISOM and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

• Uganda provides the majority of the AMISOM force, facing significant risks including deadly assaults in Somalia and terrorist attacks on Ugandan soil carried out by Al Shabaab in July 2010.
• The involvement of Saracen Security, a Uganda-registered company owned by Salim Saleh (brother of President Yoweri Museveni), in training a Somali anti-piracy force has caused controversy. This is compounded by the company's role in providing security for Uganda's own oil fields and previous allegations against Saleh regarding the plundering of mineral resources in the DRC.
• Insurgent leaders in Somalia are using Uganda's history in the DRC and the activities of Saracen Security to claim that President Museveni's primary interest in Somalia is its oil, which threatens to undermine the legitimacy of AMISOM and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG).
• International oil interest remains high in Somalia; on January 17, Africa Oil (Canada), Range Resources, and Lion Energy concluded negotiations with the Puntland government. Africa Oil's exploration licenses for the Nugaal Valley and Dharoor Valley Exploration Areas have been extended to January 2012, with potential reserves compared to basins in Yemen that yielded over 6 billion barrels.

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} }