Uganda Courts Russia to Develop Its Oil Sector

Uganda has long relied on purchases of Russian weapons to fuel a regional strategy based on an enduring ability to intervene militarily in its neighbors' disputes and to sometimes act as a regional arbiter. Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa's three-day visit to Moscow, which started on May 11, will focus in part on securing continued military equipment and training from Russia.

Energy, however, will be the most pressing topic during Kutesa's meetings with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. Uganda wants to build an oil refinery and a Russian state-owned consortium is one of six finalists for the contract. Uganda wants to use its relatively large pools of oil reserves to position itself as a hub for fuel products in the Great Lakes region, thus countering Kenyan influence within the East African Community.