Uganda leaders back Consociational Democracy Agreement

President Yoweri Museveni and General Salim Saleh are supporting a proposed Consociational Democracy Agreement (CDA) intended to mitigate Uganda’s long-standing political, ethnic, and regional divisions. The initiative, which is expected to run from 2026 to 2031, seeks to create a structured framework for political parties, religious institutions, cultural leaders, and civil society to participate in conflict resolution and grievance addressing.

The proposal was developed through research led by Professor Ogenga Otunnu, principal adviser to Gen. Saleh, and was presented to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Caucus in June 2026. The research draws on global models from countries such as Lebanon, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Belgium, and Switzerland to address historical social exclusion and sectarianism.

While the CDA aims for national unity, public discourse remains focused on the ongoing political tensions involving opposition figures. Recent reports have highlighted discussions regarding the potential release of Dr. Kizza Besigye, though his wife, Winnie Byanyima, has publicly denied that such negotiations are taking place.