President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has described the Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, as a dedicated worker who worked for the good of his country and a unifier. President Museveni was expressing his condolences following Raisi’s tragic death in a helicopter crash.
President Museveni made the remarks while delivering his condolences at the Iranian Embassy in Uganda on May 22, 2024.
“It was a big shock when I learned of the death of His Excellency Raisi. As I wrote here in the book, we have been dealing with Iranian leaders since we came into government. When His Excellency visited recently, I could see that he was a very dedicated person but also a unifier,” President Museveni stated.
He added, “You remember we finished our meetings at Entebbe quite late. But he insisted on going at night to visit the projects, which Iran had done here in the suburbs. And he went in when it was really dark. Then from there, he went to the mosque, the old Kampala mosque.”
The President also eulogized Raisi for not discriminating against people based on their religion and for being a non-sectarian and peace-loving individual.
“He’s a Shia, but he went to the Mosque of the Sunnis. And while there, he found our own, because for us, we don’t believe in sectarianism. The picture he had with our archbishop, who was also there, was because of the Inter-Religious Council. So, this showed two things: first of all, his personal dedication, but secondly, his belief in the unity of the peoples. And now that’s just locally here—what I saw just in a few hours. But I have been following him, traveling to many places—Venezuela, Pakistan, Korea, and India,” President Museveni said.
President Museveni further pledged to continue with the legacy of fighting colonialists, as his fallen counterpart Raisi did.
“The third world has come up—the anti-colonial movement—in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Working closely with democratic forces in Europe, we’ll insist on a fair world and a new world order based on equality and no exploitation of any person by any other person. So, therefore, I just came here to salute His Excellency,” he noted.
President Raisi’s tragic demise occurred in a helicopter crash near the village of Uzi in East Azerbaijan province on the evening of Sunday, May 19, 2024.
The incident occurred while he was returning from the inauguration of the Qiz-Qalasi Dam, a joint project between Iran and Azerbaijan on the Aras transboundary border river.
Following his death, Iran is planning to hold a sudden presidential election on June 28, 2024. This election and the date were approved in accordance with existing constitutional protocols, which mandate a 50-day time-frame following the death or removal of a sitting president.
