Context: Recently, the Indian Association Uganda (IAU) and Indian Military Advisory and Training Team for Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) have jointly set up military war game centre called ‘INDIA’ at the Uganda Senior Command and Staff College in Kimaka in Jinja District of Uganda.
Key Points

• The Indian Association Uganda (TAU) and Indian Military Advisory and Training Team have jointly handed over a state-of-the-art military training facility to Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF).
• The training facility was funded by voluntary organizations from the Ugandans of Indian Origin.
• The war game centre was named as "INDIA" and inaugurated by Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (President of Uganda).
• The cost of the project was funded voluntarily by Ugandans of Indian origin that will help make the centre’s region a long-lasting symbol of the special bond that both the countries share.
• The center will not only help the college but also strongly support UPDF’s transformation. In addition to Uganda, the East African region will also get benefitted in training peacekeeping troops that would cross the continent and beyond.
• The IAU donated a vehicle and other equipment to the Uganda to help in medical services during the battle against coronavirus (COVID-19).

About Uganda

• Uganda is a land-locked country located in the Eastern-Central Africa.
• It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania.
• Its southern boundary touches with Lake Victoria.

Importance of Uganda

• India looks forward to expanding markets and promote Indian trade and investment in Eastern Africa for the mutual growth of India-Eastern Africa economies.
• Indian exports to Uganda narrowed to $736 million at present from $1.2 billion in 2015, while Ugandan shipments to the subcontinent increased to $44 million from $24 million during the same period.
• Uganda is currently chair of the East African community and the country has rich potential in resource base including its oil and gas sector, its agriculture, its minerals including rare earth minerals as well as renewable energy.
• Besides resources and markets, India also needs to closely watch China’s progress in building up constituencies around the world, including Africa.
• Support from such constituencies helps strengthen China’s international position and in the process, Chinese ambitions for global leadership get a boost.

India-Uganda Relations

• India established its diplomatic presence in 1965, even though the countries relationship dates back to the era when traders ferried goods in dhows across the Indian Ocean which eventually led to number of Indians to settle in East Africa, and many made Uganda their home.
• India’s freedom struggle inspired early Ugandan activists to fight colonialism and the country achieved freedom in 1962.
• In the 1970s under the dictatorship of Idi Amin, nearly 60000 Indians and PIOs were expelled from Uganda. However, this policy was reversed in the 80s and currently there are over 30000 Indians/PIOs in the country.