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\n Thomas Tayebwa has called on African legislators under the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to firmly resist what he described as growing interference by the European Parliament in the internal affairs of African countries.<\/p>\n
Tayebwa, who also serves as President of the OACPS and Co-President of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly, made the remarks during a meeting of the Eastern Africa Regional Parliamentary Group in Ezulwini Valley. He stressed that African states deserve respect for their sovereignty and independence. Thomas Tayebwa has called on African legislators under the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to firmly resist what he described as growing interference by the European Parliament in the internal affairs of African countries. Tayebwa, who also serves as President of the OACPS and Co-President of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly, made the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_3659155457675267_172535249438148":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-news"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tayebwa-Urges-United-African-Stand-Against-European-Parliament-Interference.jpg",2560,1706,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tayebwa-Urges-United-African-Stand-Against-European-Parliament-Interference-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tayebwa-Urges-United-African-Stand-Against-European-Parliament-Interference-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tayebwa-Urges-United-African-Stand-Against-European-Parliament-Interference-768x512.jpg",618,412,true],"large":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tayebwa-Urges-United-African-Stand-Against-European-Parliament-Interference-1024x682.jpg",618,412,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tayebwa-Urges-United-African-Stand-Against-European-Parliament-Interference-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tayebwa-Urges-United-African-Stand-Against-European-Parliament-Interference-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true],"tie-small":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tayebwa-Urges-United-African-Stand-Against-European-Parliament-Interference-110x75.jpg",110,75,true],"tie-medium":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tayebwa-Urges-United-African-Stand-Against-European-Parliament-Interference-310x165.jpg",310,165,true],"tie-large":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tayebwa-Urges-United-African-Stand-Against-European-Parliament-Interference-310x205.jpg",310,205,true],"slider":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tayebwa-Urges-United-African-Stand-Against-European-Parliament-Interference-660x330.jpg",660,330,true],"big-slider":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tayebwa-Urges-United-African-Stand-Against-European-Parliament-Interference-1050x525.jpg",1050,525,true]},"author_info":{"info":["Editor"]},"category_info":"News<\/a>","tag_info":"News","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=811"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/811\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nHe criticized the European Parliament for passing a resolution against Uganda\u2019s January general elections and summoning Uganda\u2019s ambassador despite earlier assessments by European Union observers describing the polls as free and fair.
\n\u201cI think we need to caution our colleagues from the European Parliament to reduce interference in the matters of our countries,\u201d Tayebwa said. \u201cWe have not interfered in how they are handling their issues with Russia. They should leave our countries alone.\u201d
\nTayebwa noted that a similar incident occurred in Tanzania, where the country\u2019s ambassador was reportedly summoned following elections. He argued that such actions contradict the principles of mutual respect and sovereignty enshrined in the Samoa Agreement, which governs cooperation between the OACPS and the European Union.
\nHe further cited the European Parliament\u2019s 2022 resolution seeking to halt the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, saying African states successfully opposed the move during an OACPS meeting in Maputo. According to Tayebwa, the outcome demonstrated the importance of African countries standing united against decisions that undermine their interests.
\nMembers of the Ugandan delegation echoed similar concerns, urging African states to take a stronger stance against what they termed intimidation by the European Parliament.
\nMaurice Kibaalya questioned the credibility of the Samoa Agreement and other international partnerships in light of such actions.
\n\u201cHow can we trust the agreements we are signing?\u201d Kibaalya asked. \u201cUganda ratified the Samoa Agreement in good faith, yet a parliament of another bloc is interfering in the affairs of an independent country.\u201d
\nHe warned that unilateral actions by external actors could discourage African states from committing to future agreements, arguing that the Samoa Agreement clearly provides for respect of sovereignty and diplomatic processes.
\nAmos Kankunda also condemned what he described as external meddling in domestic governance.
\n\u201cWe really condemn in the highest terms possible the idea of mingling in our internal politics,\u201d Kankunda said. \u201cWe should be allowed to manage our own internal affairs as independent states.\u201d
\nSimilarly, Dickson Kateshumbwa stressed that sovereignty must remain central in all international engagements.
\n\u201cThe independence that comes with ratifying agreements like the Samoa Agreement must be respected,\u201d he said. \u201cWe condemn in the strongest terms any interference in our internal political processes.\u201d
\nCall for African Unity
\nTayebwa also urged African legislators to strengthen their negotiating position by identifying common priorities capable of uniting the continent.
\n\u201cWe must get one or two clear riding points that bring us together as Africa,\u201d he said, noting that while regions such as the Caribbean are united by issues like climate change, Africa must deliberately define and pursue a collective agenda.
\nHe further emphasized the need for thorough preparation during negotiations with European counterparts, whom he described as highly detail-oriented.
\n\u201cThese are people who read everything \u2014 even a comma,\u201d Tayebwa noted. \u201cWe must do the same if we are to negotiate effectively.\u201d
\nEconomic concerns also dominated the discussions, particularly the need for African countries to maximize opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Tayebwa described AfCFTA as the world\u2019s largest trading bloc but said Africa has yet to fully harness its potential benefits.
\n\u201cWe would benefit much more from the African Continental Free Trade Area than many of these external agreements,\u201d he said.
\nLegislators also raised concerns over persistent non-tariff barriers affecting African exports such as coffee, tea, and fish in European markets, while European goods continue to enjoy easier access to African economies.
\nConcerns Over Climate Financing
\nClimate financing emerged as another major concern, with lawmakers questioning the gap between international pledges and actual funding reaching African countries.
\n\u201cThey go to COP meetings and make commitments, but where is the money?\u201d Tayebwa asked. \u201cHow is it helping our farmers?\u201d
\nKeywords
\nThomas Tayebwa, OACPS, European Parliament, EU interference, African sovereignty, Samoa Agreement, Uganda elections, East African Crude Oil Pipeline, AfCFTA, climate financing, African legislators, Maurice Kibaalya, Amos Kankunda, Dickson Kateshumbwa, Ezulwini Valley, Eswatini, non-tariff barriers, African trade, Uganda politics, EU-Africa relations
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