Video footage of Special Forces Command Presidential guards at State House, Entebbe clashed with Egyptian President, His Excellency Field Marshal Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s guards on Sunday.
READ: Egyptian President Fattah El-Sisi in Uganda to meet Museveni
The short clip seen by TheUgandan shows the SFC Commandoes who guard Gen. Museveni and his family battled with four Egyptian presidential guards who attempted to enter State House armed, contrary to standard security practice.
At President Museveni’s official residence, even bodyguards of Cabinet ministers deposit their firearms at the entrance and collect them once they leave their bosses.
Sources said the Egyptian agents had showed up with members of the international press team that was accompanying Fattah El-Sisi and on being frisked they were found with firearms.
“They identified themselves as El-Ssisi’s guards but they were told it was standard practice nobody enters State House with guns.
A brief standoff between the two presidential guards preceded the calm and collected diplomatic engagement but Museveni’s guards stood their ground and disarmed their Egyptian counterparts.
It is customary for host countries to manage security of a foreign leader and it is unclear why guards of the Egyptian president yesterday felt the pressing need to take care of his security themselves.
In the melee, President Museveni’s guards outsmarted their Egyptian counterparts, blocking entry to those not authorised.
In the video, Museveni’s ever calm Principle Private Secretary Molly Kamukama and his press secretary Don Wanyama were seen moving away from the melee.
However, a top State House official who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter said that after the two presidents had entered the meeting room for bilateral talks on trade, river Nile use, agriculture and security and many of the the Egyptian delegates and security agents wanted to follow Gen. Museveni and Field Marshal Fattah El-Sisi inside immediately which the Ugandan officials could not allow.
This is not the first time El-Sisi’s guards have been filmed acting rowdy leading to much ridicule on social media. In September this year, an awkward encounter between US Secretary of State John Kerry and an Egyptian secret serviceman has become the subject of ridicule in the north African Arab nation.
As well, Museveni’s guards who report to his son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainirugaba have been a topic revisited on a few occasions, chiefly because he continues offering less reason to shine a light on their continued superiority.
