Unlike Nigeria, U.S. gives anti-terror support to Uganda

As of late last week Uganda has improved security in its capital of Kampala due to fears of an impending attack by al-Shabaab. The warnings came from the US embassy in Kampala regarding possible terror attacks against areas frequented by Westerners, and the US embassy has already cancelled several non-essential events at local hotels scheduled to take place in the coming days. Ugandan security services and the US embassy have kept a close watch on al-Shabaab activities ever since the 2010 bombings of sports bars in Kampala. Despite tensions between the United States and Uganda over Uganda’s controversial laws criminalizing homosexuality, the US and Uganda remain close in confronting al-Shabaab.

However, such laws are not uncommon throughout Africa. Nigeria has similar laws which have earned the ire of the current US government, even limiting their aid to Nigeria in their battle against Boko Haram. Why is the US declining to give full support to Nigeria due to their anti-gay laws while continuing to aid Uganda? Certainly Boko Haram is a considerably more significant threat to Nigeria than al-Shabaab is to Uganda, and no sane person would claim that the current Nigerian government is worse on gay rights than Boko Haram.

The missing piece of the puzzle was filled in by Adam Kredo of the Washington Free Beacon who reported that Nigerian President Jonathan’s political opponent had hired David Axelrod’s firm to run a presidential campaign against the incumbent.  David Axelrod is one of president Obama’s closest advisers though now in the private sector.  U.S. undermining of the Nigerian president’s battle against Boko Haram worked out well for Axelrod’s client and Nigerian presidential candidate, general Muhammadou Buhari.  If Buhari wins it will be because of David Axelrod’s design and U.S. undermining of the democratically elected leader of Nigeria.