Inside the Secret Diplomacy That Brought Col. Samson Mande Back to Uganda
When Col. Samson Mande stepped back onto Ugandan soil after years in exile, his calm public thanks to President Yoweri Museveni and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba gave little hint of what had gone on behind the scenes.
But the full story of his return reveals a carefully orchestrated reconciliation effort that spanned more than a decade, connecting Uganda’s top military and diplomatic figures across continents.
According to new information obtained from official correspondence and individuals close to the process, Mande’s repatriation was not a sudden act of clemency but the product of years of quiet coordination that began as far back as 2010.
The groundwork was laid in Sweden, where National Resistance Movement (NRM) diaspora figures started exploring ways to rebuild trust between the former rebel officer and the Ugandan state.
Initial contact was made in 2010, when a group of NRM members in Europe reached out to Mande with a proposal for dialogue.
The goal was to find a pathway to forgiveness and reintegration, a move seen as part of a broader effort to heal old political divisions.
Progress was slow at first, but a key breakthrough came when trusted intermediaries arranged an online meeting between Mande and Gen. Salim Saleh.
That conversation helped ease years of suspicion and created space for further engagement at higher levels.
The process gathered momentum when Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, then serving in senior military leadership, became directly involved.
Together with Uganda’s ambassador to Germany at the time, Michael Katungi, he participated in a series of discreet discussions with Mande in Europe.
In one critical stage, the talks moved to Leipzig, Germany, where Ambassador Katungi hosted Mande and representatives of the Ugandan side for two days of negotiations.
Sources familiar with the discussions say this meeting was pivotal, it established mutual trust and opened the door to reconciliation with State House.
Katungi later followed up with another meeting in Amsterdam to maintain momentum and reassure Mande of the government’s sincerity.
Once President Museveni was briefed on the progress, official steps followed.
Mande was then issued a diplomatic passport, a gesture of goodwill signaling that his safe return was being officially facilitated.
Brig. Ronnie Balya, then a key intelligence officer, received instructions from the President to prepare accommodation for Mande in Kampala.
The process, however, was not without obstacles.
It temporarily stalled during the national election period in 2021, during which Mande once again withdrew from contact.
But once the political season passed, the reconciliation initiative resumed, quietly advancing until his eventual decision to return home in 2025.
Those close to the matter describe Mande’s return as both symbolic and strategic. The reconciliation has been framed as part of a broader effort by Gen. Muhoozi and the NRM diaspora to reach out to Ugandans abroad who left under tense circumstances.
