President Yoweri Museveni mourned the passing of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, whom he called a unifier and dedicated worker.
“On behalf of the People of Uganda, I want to express the most heartfelt condolences to the friends and People of Iran on the death of their President, H.E. Ebrahim Raisi,” Museveni posted on X on Wednesday, May 22.
“We could easily see that H.E. Raisi was a dedicated worker and unifier for his country and for the Tri-continental struggle for justice by Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and the peace-loving People of Europe.”
President Museveni also recalled Raisi’s recent visit to Uganda.
“Small things could even show this. When he visited us recently, we finished the government bilateral functions late, as dusk was gathering,” said Museveni.
“However, he insisted on going to the suburbs at night to visit the pro-people projects Iran had constructed.”
He went on: “From there, at night, H.E. Raisi, a Shia, visited Old Kampala mosque, which belongs to the Sunni sect. I could see a patriot in His Excellency. It is a pity he died prematurely. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”
Ebrahim Raisi flew into Kampala on July 12, 2023, and he was in Uganda for two days.
Raisi died after a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran, multiple news agencies reported, citing Iranian state media.
Iran’s interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, told IRNA, Iran’s state-run news agency, that a helicopter carrying Raisi and other senior Iranian officials was forced to make a “hard landing” on Sunday, May 19.
Heavy fog, bad weather, and eventually nighttime conditions prevented rescue personnel from immediately reaching the scene, officials said, which led to several hours of uncertainty about the president’s status.