The President emphasised the need to ensure that economic growth translates into improved household incomes, citing government programmes such as Operation Wealth Creation and the Parish Development Model (PDM).
“Can you have a strong army and a strong and safe country without a strong economy? Can you have a strong defence force and a strong and safe country without cohesive politics? Finally, can you have a strong defence force and a strong and safe country without, in some cases, addressing the issue of geo-strategic location such as being landlocked?” President Museveni asked.
The said returnees are travelling aboard a special Uganda Airlines charter flight fully funded by the Government of Uganda, in what officials described as the first phase of a broader evacuation exercise.
Turning to security, Museveni argued that Africa's future strength will depend on political unity, saying individual countries may not have the capacity to compete globally in areas such as space and maritime security.