Museveni Rallies African Leaders to Safeguard Family Values and Push Economic Sovereignty
President Yoweri Museveni has called on African leaders to defend the continent’s traditional family values and work toward economic and political independence. Speaking at the 3rd African Regional Inter-Parliamentary Conference at State House Entebbe, the Ugandan leader urged unity in rejecting foreign ideologies that threaten Africa’s cultural and moral foundations.
Held under the theme “Towards an African Charter on Family Values and Sovereignty”, the conference drew parliamentary leaders from several African countries, including South Sudan, Zimbabwe, DR Congo, and The Gambia.
Resisting Foreign Pressures
Museveni warned against the influence of global institutions attempting to impose foreign values, especially around sexual and reproductive rights. He cited the Samoa Agreement as an example of treaties that could undermine African traditions and suggested that Uganda might withdraw from it if necessary.
Describing such pressures as disorienting and “criminal,” the President said:
“When people stop doing the right thing and embrace the wrong, it’s disorientation. To spread that is criminal—and it will not succeed.”
Family as a Cornerstone of Africa
Emphasizing that there can be no strong nations without strong families, Museveni argued that defending families requires more than moral strength—it demands economic and political power.
He noted that after Uganda passed its Anti-Homosexuality Act, international donors and the U.S. imposed sanctions, but the Ugandan economy still grew.
“To resist pressure, you must be strong. You must be economically independent and create a continental market,” Museveni stressed.
Promoting Pan-African Trade
The President emphasized the importance of intra-African trade and regional economic integration. He rejected protectionist suggestions to ban imports like Tanzanian rice, instead encouraging healthy competition to benefit consumers and improve local production.
“Without a larger market, African producers remain poor and stifled. Pan-Africanism isn’t just political—it’s practical economics,” he said.
Museveni outlined his party’s four guiding principles—Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-Economic Transformation, and Democracy—as the path to Africa’s prosperity and unity.
Janet Museveni: Protect Values, Reject Foreign Conditionalities
First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni joined the call, urging African nations to reduce their dependence on foreign aid, which often comes with ideological strings attached.
“Too often, aid is not offered freely. It comes with conditions that erode our values and undermine national sovereignty,” she said.
She emphasized the need to ground Africa’s youth in traditional values and announced ongoing government-funded education reforms aimed at patriotism, morality, and national pride—free from foreign influence.
Towards a Continental Charter
Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament Anita Among emphasized that Africa must legislate in defense of family and identity. She praised Uganda’s lawmakers and the President for their firm stance on the Anti-Homosexuality Law.
“Society mirrors the family. Let us defend this foundation before it collapses,” she asserted.
Hon. Sarah Opendi, who chairs the Inter-Parliamentary Conference, revealed that leaders are drafting an African Charter on Family Values and Sovereignty—a legacy framework to be submitted to heads of state. The charter will focus on education, health, infrastructure, and cultural preservation.
Call to Action
Family Watch International President Sharon Slater applauded Africa’s resistance to foreign ideologies and called for an African protocol to protect families from global cultural intrusion.
“If the family collapses, the nation collapses. It’s time for Africa to stand firm,” she said.
As the conference concluded, leaders echoed a shared resolve: Africa must rise with its own voice, protect its values, and pursue unity, prosperity, and independence—on its own terms.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Wzj5c5yVI
