Museveni urges Africa to move beyond colonial-era groupings

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has urged African countries to prioritise continental integration and trade over groupings rooted in their former colonial associations, in an argument that puts his support for African continental integration ahead of historical associations such as the Commonwealth.

The Ugandan leader said Africa should consolidate its unity through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) while maintaining trade and other partnerships with countries of its choice.

"We should associate with a united Africa in the context of the Continental Free Trade Area and other trade partners of our choice, rather than clustering Africa

Museveni made the remarks while meeting Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey, who paid a courtesy call on him at State House, Entebbe.

He cautioned against organising African countries around former colonial ties, arguing that partnerships with former colonial powers should serve Africa's broader interests and not undermine the continent's unity and development.

The remarks are notable because the Ugandan leader has previously highlighted the Commonwealth's unifying role, particularly its common use of English, stating that the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) were among the few international events he attended without using translation devices because of the common language.

An advocate of regional integration, Museveni made a similar argument at an EAC meeting in Arusha in November 2024, saying colonial partition had fragmented historically integrated African trading areas. He described East Africa as a "Connected Trade Area" before European colonial powers divided it into separate countries, turning it into what he called a "disconnected trade area."

Botchwey, whom Museveni described as "our daughter", leads the 56-member Commonwealth, which includes 21 African members and has a combined population of about 2.7 billion.

Interestingly, Botchwey herself has been trying to redefine the Commonwealth away from nostalgia for the colonial past. In 2026, she told the UK Parliament that the Commonwealth should no longer be viewed primarily through the history it shares-"some of which is not that pleasant" and stressed its potential as a modern multilateral and trade institution.

A Ghanaian, Botchwey previously served as Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. She was appointed Commonwealth Secretary-General on October 25, 2024, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia, Samoa, and became the first African woman to hold the position.

During the meeting, Museveni also welcomed proposals for a Commonwealth climate fund to support the development of alternative energy sources, including solar, hydro and nuclear power.

Botchwey said Africa, as a major component of the Commonwealth, should play a central role in shaping the organisation's future. She also stressed the need for greater self-reliance on the continent and new approaches to addressing its persistent development challenges.

The talks focused on Africa's integration and self-reliance, Uganda's cooperation with the Commonwealth, trade and investment, climate action, alternative energy, and opportunities to equip and empower Africa's growing youth population.

The last CHOGM to be held in Africa was in Kigali, Rwanda, in June 2022-the first on the continent since Uganda hosted the event in 2007. Gabon and Togo joined the Commonwealth at the Kigali meeting, increasing membership from 54 to 56 countries.