Relationship dossier
Libya
Uganda
Relationship assessment
A history of episodic political alignment, with the scope of sustained bilateral cooperation unclear
Libya toward Uganda
+10Under Muammar Gaddafi, Libya provided military support to Idi Amin's Ugandan government, including forces during the 1979 Uganda-Tanzania War. This was concrete support for Uganda's government, though the relationship's continuity after Amin's removal is uncertain.
Uganda toward Libya
+10Idi Amin's government aligned politically with Muammar Gaddafi's Libya, and later Ugandan governments voiced support for Gaddafi. The extent of sustained Ugandan government cooperation with Libya beyond these political episodes is unclear.
Overall relationship
+5The relationship has included significant episodes of political alignment and Libyan military support to Uganda under Idi Amin, followed by later Ugandan expressions of support for Gaddafi. These links are counterbalanced by uncertainty about their durability and the scope of cooperation across subsequent governments; the bilateral relationship does not appear to rest on a clearly established, enduring structure.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Libya-Uganda relations have included periods of close political alignment, especially under Idi Amin, when Muammar Gaddafi's Libya provided military support to Uganda. Later Ugandan governments also expressed support for Gaddafi. These episodes indicate some concrete cooperation, but the relationship has been shaped by changes of government and its longer-term scope is unclear.
Key developments
Libya sent forces to support Idi Amin's government during the Uganda-Tanzania War.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of bilateral cooperation between the governments after the fall of Idi Amin is unclear.
- The scope and continuity of later Ugandan government cooperation with Libya are uncertain.