PM Netanyahu and his wife Sara board a plane to Uganda
PM Netanyahu and his wife Sara board a plane to UgandaHaim Zach, GPO

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will meet Monday with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and other regional leaders, in an unusual diplomatic visit.

Before boarding his plane, Netanyahu said: "Israel is returning to Africa, big time. This is a very important visit, diplomatically as well. I hope that at the end of the day, I will be able to tell the people of Israel very good news."

"This is my fifth visit in three-and-a-half years. These are very important connections for diplomacy, the economy, and security. We are strengthening our bonds with this country."

Netanyahu left Israel Monday morning, and is scheduled to return to Israel late Monday night.

Officially, he is scheduled to meet with Museveni, but it is expected that he will hold additional meetings with other regional leaders.

In 2017, Netanyahu announced his goal of eroding the "great blocking majority of 54 African countries that is the basis of the automatic majority against Israel in the UN and other international bodies." Since then, he has signed agreements with and visited several African countries, and resumed diplomatic relations with Chad, after they were severed in 1972.