105-673: The Popular Resistance Army , also known as Movement for the Struggle for Political Rights , was a rebel group organized around late 1980 and early 1981 by Yoweri Museveni to fight against the regime of Milton Obote in Uganda . It was a predecessor of the National Resistance Army . It relied on military strength and dependence on civilian material assistance to conduct its operations. When it held territory, it would hold elections for committees which managed their villages. Museveni disputed
210-484: A fifth column ; the entire Uganda Freedom Army was probably a front organisation of the NRA. In addition, FUNA suffered from extensive indiscipline, and harassed civilians in the capital despite denials by its commander Isaac Lumago . Kampala's garrison was at least 12,000-strong. The UNLA also established a battery at Summit View on Kololo , a hill overlooking Kampala. Troops were deployed to strategic locations, including
315-577: A mixed economy . The Central Intelligence Agency 's World Factbook estimates that the Obote regime was responsible for more 100,000 civilian deaths across Uganda . On 27 July 1985, sub factionalism within the Uganda People's Congress government led to a successful military coup against Obote by his former army commander, Lieutenant-General Tito Okello , an Acholi. Museveni and the NRM/NRA were angry that
420-506: A United Nations Diplomat argued that Museveni pursued a genocide to Nilotic – Luo people living in the Northern part of the country. In one of the most intense phases of the war, between October and December 1988, the NRA forcibly cleared approximately 100,000 people from their homes in and around Gulu town . Soldiers committed hundreds of extrajudicial executions as they forcibly moved people, burning down homes and granaries . In its conclusion,
525-494: A coalition government and end the fighting. The coup upset many Lango soldiers, which constituted the second-largest ethnic group in the UNLA and were loyal to Obote. The NRM was highly critical of the new government and accused the UNLA of committing atrocities. The UNLF, conscious of its weakening political position, nevertheless pursued negotiations with the NRM. Museveni took advantage of
630-629: A disappointment to the Clinton administration , which had hoped to make Uganda the centerpiece of the African Crisis Response Initiative . In 2000, Rwandan and Ugandan troops exchanged fire on three occasions in the DRC city of Kisangani , leading to tensions and a deterioration in relations between Kagame and Museveni. The Ugandan government has also been criticized for aggravating the Ituri conflict ,
735-476: A hard-won reputation for fairness. "When Museveni's men first came they acted very well—we welcomed them", said one villager, "but then they started to arrest people and kill them". In March 1989, Amnesty International published a human rights report on Uganda , Uganda, the Human Rights Record 1986–1989 . It documented gross human rights violations committed by NRA troops. According to Olara Otunnu,
840-399: A large force of UNLA troops and allied militias to garrison Kampala in preparation for an attack, though its effectiveness was weakened by low morale, internal friction, and subterfuge. On 17 January 1986 the NRA began advancing on Kampala. They managed to occupy territory around the city, but the UNLA stemmed their advance by placing an artillery battery at a strategic roundabout. On 24 January
945-493: A message to their headquarters. Saleh and Museveni subsequently ordered their forces to attack. The 1st Battalion and 3rd Battalion were given the responsibility of conducting the main thrust into Kampala and equipped with most of the NRA's support weapons. The former pressed forward with the latter in support, and by nightfall had secured Rubaga. The 11th Battalion moved in behind them, while the 7th Battalion seized Ndeeba. The NRA encountered little resistance in this area, aside of
1050-498: A person from the south with great trepidation. Rebel groups sprang up among the Lango , Acholi , and Teso peoples , though they were overwhelmed by the strength of the NRA except in the far north where the Sudanese border provided a safe haven. The Acholi rebel Uganda People's Democratic Army (UPDA) failed to dislodge the NRA occupation of Acholiland , leading to the desperate chiliasm of
1155-466: A platoon of the 3rd Battalion managed to successfully climb over the wall at the Lubiri barracks, finding the location to have been abandoned by UNLA forces. Saleh moved to join his troops at the front line and encamped at Natete. On 26 January Museveni went to Republic House, moving his command post to its canteen . He was greeted by Saleh, who briefed him on the status of the battle. The NRA's 1st Battalion
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#17328554850961260-400: A share of their matrimonial homes). The New York Times in 1997 said about Museveni: These are heady days for the former guerilla who runs Uganda. He moves with the measured gait and sure gestures of a leader secure in his power and his vision. It is little wonder. To hear some of the diplomats and African experts tell it, President Yoweri K. Museveni started an ideological movement that
1365-606: A significant amount of guns, it also suffered almost no losses during the battle. Afterwards, it began a low-level insurgency, achieving some small victories like the Battle of Kakiri , but also suffering a number of setbacks such as the Battle of Kiboga . In June 1981, a new rebel coalition was organised, with the PRA and Yusuf Lule 's Uganda Freedom Fighters agreeing to unite as the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Museveni
1470-483: A skirmish at the Rubaga-Ndeeba road junction. Upon hearing that his troops had entered Kampala, Museveni relocated his headquarters from Mpigi to Trinity College Nabbingo . Meanwhile, three young NRA guerrillas reconnoitred UNLA defences on Kololo under the guise of playing football. For the most part, the UNLA and FUNA soldiers defending the city were demotivated and poorly led; many deserted or outright defected to
1575-454: A small number of veterans who had served in the disbanded Front for National Salvation , Museveni's previous rebel group and private army . As his group lacked foreign supporters, the PRA and an allied rebel group, the UNLF-AD , opted to risk a raid on a military base to capture weapons to start their insurgency. This plan resulted in the Battle of Kabamba ; even though the PRA failed to capture
1680-627: A sub-conflict of the Second Congo War. The Ugandan army officially withdrew from the Congo in 2003 and a contingent of UN peace keepers was deployed. In December 2005, the International Court of Justice ruled that Uganda must pay compensation to the DRC for human rights violations during the Second Congo War. In 2001, Museveni won the presidential elections by a substantial majority, with his former friend and personal physician Kizza Besigye as
1785-534: A thicket dubbed "Bat Valley" and Wandegeya , as the local UNLA soldiers held well-concealed positions, set up at 14.5mm gun, and fought with determination. After overcoming this resistance, the rebels fought their way through a series of machine gun positions at a golf course . The 11th Battalion then rushed the UNLA position at Summit View, forcing the troops manning the artillery to surrender and forcing others—including their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Eric Odwar—to retreat. Telecommunications running out of
1890-536: Is not a favor from any regime. The sovereign people must be the public, not the government." Uganda began participating in an IMF Economic Recovery Program in 1987. Its objectives included the restoration of incentives in order to encourage growth, investment, employment, and exports; the promotion and diversification of trade with particular emphasis on export promotion; the removal of bureaucratic constraints and divestment from ailing public enterprises so as to enhance sustainable economic growth and development through
1995-493: Is polarized with many Ugandans objecting to [the constitutional amendments]. If Parliament goes ahead and removes term limits, this may cause serious unrest, political strife and may lead to turmoil both through the transition period and thereafter ... We would therefore like to appeal to President Museveni to respect himself, the people who elected him, and the Constitution under which he was voted President in 2001 when he promised
2100-472: Is reshaping much of Africa, spelling the end of the corrupt, strong-man governments that characterized the cold-war era. These days, political pundits across the continent are calling Mr. Museveni an African Bismarck . Some people now refer to him as Africa's "other statesman", second only to the venerated South African President Nelson Mandela . In official briefing papers from Madeleine Albright 's December 1997 Africa tour as Secretary of State , Museveni
2205-701: Is the third- longest consecutively serving current non-royal national leader in the world (after Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in Equatorial Guinea and Paul Biya in Cameroon ). His government is considered autocratic . Born in Ntungamo , Museveni studied political science from the University of Dar es Salaam where he initiated the University Students' African Revolutionary Front . In 1972, he participated in
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#17328554850962310-530: The Busega roundabout , where the Masaka and Fort Portal roads entered the capital. The commander of the NRA's 1st Battalion, Pecos Kutesa, in a fit of anxiety claimed he was ill; Museveni ordered him to remain at the local NRA headquarters while his second-in-command, Fred Mugisha took charge of the unit on the front lines. On 23 January, the government forces' artillery bombarded the areas in and around Kampala where
2415-467: The Democratic Party , who contested the election as a candidate for the "Inter-party forces coalition", and the upstart candidate Kibirige Mayanja . Museveni won with 75.5 percent of the vote from a turnout of 72.6 percent of eligible voters. Although international and domestic observers described the vote as valid, both the losing candidates rejected the results. Museveni was sworn in as president for
2520-637: The Front for National Salvation (FRONASA) in 1973. In August of the same year, he married Janet Kainembabazi . In October 1978, Ugandan troops invaded the Kagera Salient in northern Tanzania, initiating the Uganda–Tanzania War . Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere ordered the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) to counter-attack and mobilized Ugandan dissidents to fight Amin's regime. Museveni
2625-614: The Holy Spirit Movement (HSM). The defeat of both the UPDA and HSM left the rebellion to a group that eventually became known as the Lord's Resistance Army , which turned upon the Acholi themselves. The NRA subsequently earned a reputation for respecting the rights of civilians, although Museveni later received criticism for using child soldiers . Undisciplined elements within the NRA soon tarnished
2730-661: The National Resistance Army (NRA) attacked and captured the Ugandan capital, Kampala , from the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA). As a result, the Ugandan government was deposed and replaced by a new one under NRA leader Yoweri Museveni . In 1981 Museveni initiated an insurgency in Uganda against the government, which was controlled by the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF). He soon joined
2835-1013: The Uganda Freedom Fighters , to create the National Resistance Army (NRA) with its political wing, the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Two other rebel groups, the Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF) and the Former Uganda National Army (FUNA), engaged Obote's forces. The FUNA was formed in the West Nile sub-region from the remnants of Amin's supporters. The NRA/NRM developed a "Ten-point Programmed" for an eventual government, covering: democracy; security; consolidation of national unity; defending national independence; building an independent, integrated, and self-sustaining economy; improvement of social services; elimination of corruption and misuse of power; redressing inequality; cooperation with other African countries; and
2940-462: The West Nile sub-region , inhabited by Kakwa and Lugbara (who had previously supported Amin), the UNRF and FUNA rebel groups fought for years until a combination of military offensives and diplomacy pacified the region. The leader of the UNRF, Moses Ali , gave up his struggle to become the second deputy prime minister. People from the northern parts of the country viewed the rise of a government led by
3045-596: The Wilson Center , former U.S. Ambassador to Uganda Johnnie Carson heaped more criticism on Museveni. Despite recognizing the president as a "genuine reformer" whose "leadership [has] led to stability and growth", Carson also said, "we may be looking at another Mugabe and Zimbabwe in the making". "Many observers see Museveni's efforts to amend the constitution as a re-run of a common problem that afflicts many African leaders – an unwillingness to follow constitutional norms and give up power". In July 2005, Norway became
3150-485: The 1980s, Uganda had one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world, but now Uganda's rates are comparatively low, and the country stands as a rare success story in the global battle against the virus. One of the campaigns headed by Museveni to fight against HIV/AIDS was the ABC program. The ABC program had three main parts "Abstain, Be faithful, or use Condoms if A and B are not practiced." In April 1998, Uganda became
3255-524: The 1st Battalion and sleep. Three high-ranking UNLA commanders surrendered when the city fell to the NRA; namely chief of staff Lieutenant General Zeddy Maruru , Brigadier Fred Okecho, and Colonel Samuel Nanyumba. Okello fled via helicopter to Sudan with several members of his staff. FUNA commander Isaac Lumago went into exile in Zaire . The Battle of Kampala was the largest battle the NRA had partaken in since its inception. Researcher Richard J. Reid described
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3360-533: The Bantu-dominated south and south-west to form the Popular Resistance Army (PRA). They planned a rebellion against the second Obote regime (Obote II) and its armed forces, the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA). The insurgency began with an attack on an army installation in the central Mubende district on 6 February 1981. The PRA later merged with former president Yusufu Lule 's fighting group,
3465-517: The Congo (DRC) of former Rwandan soldiers and members of the previous regime. These soldiers were aided by Mobutu Sese Seko , leading Rwanda (with the aid of Museveni) and Laurent Kabila 's rebels during the First Congo War to overthrow Mobutu and take power in the DRC. In August 1998, Rwanda and Uganda invaded the DRC again during the Second Congo War , this time to overthrow Kabila, who
3570-571: The Entebbe road, causing Museveni deep consternation. As the 1st Battalion was engaged near the Jinja road and the 11th Battalion was mopping up the UNLA presence on Kololo, he deployed his reserve—two companies of the 3rd Battalion—to stop the advance from Entebbe. Saleh ordered the NRA's 500-strong Special Force under Jet Mwebaze to redeploy from a roadblock on the Jinja road to assist Ivan Koreta's 13th Battalion in
3675-555: The Entebbe road. Early in the evening the 7th Battalion captured the Makindye barracks, reportedly aided by the defection of local FEDEMU and UFM troops to the NRA. Museveni subsequently sent the 7th Battalion to the Kisubi roundabout to act as a reserve for the forces guarding the Entebbe route. As dusk fell, the 1,000 UNLA troops entered the Namasuba valley and were ambushed. They retreated, and
3780-678: The Irish anti-poverty campaigner Bob Geldof sparked a protest by Museveni supporters outside the British High Commission in Kampala. "Get a grip Museveni. Your time is up, go away", said Geldof in March 2005, explaining that moves to change the constitution were compromising Museveni's record against fighting poverty and HIV/AIDS . In an opinion article in the Boston Globe and in a speech delivered at
3885-758: The Masinda–Hoima Road, so that UNLA units which were still active in northern Uganda could not reinforce Kampala. Realising that the rebels would launch an attack on the capital, President Okello attempted to bolster Kampala's garrison by enlisting the aid of anti-NRA militias, including the Former Uganda National Army (FUNA), the Uganda Freedom Army , and the Federal Democratic Movement of Uganda (FEDEMU). In truth, many of these alleged anti-NRA fighters were NRA spies and acted as
3990-444: The NRA forces advanced and occupied Zana hill. Another NRA company stationed at Kisubi began moving towards the UNLA force's rear. Fearing that they were about to be subject to a pincer attack , the UNLA men dispatched an emissary to Zana to offer their surrender. Saleh accepted, and at around 22:00 radioed news of the capitulation to Museveni. By the end of the day the NRA had secured Kampala. Saleh went to Radio Uganda to link up with
4095-405: The NRA was present, including Rubaga , Lubigi , and Busega. The NRA's artillery, mainly lighter guns and mortars , responded; "fierce artillery duels" erupted, lasting for the entire day. In the evening, government forces fled from Nateete , allowing the NRA to capture it without opposition. On early 24 January, a UNLA Bell helicopter made several attempts at disrupting the NRA artillery in
4200-456: The NRA. On 25 January the NRA's 7th Battalion attacked the UNLA barracks at Makindye and the 3rd Battalion assaulted the Lubiri barracks, while the 1st Battalion acted as a reserve . NRA artillery positioned on Mutundwe traded fire with the UNLA battery at Summit View. Fighting at Lubiri was severe; the UNLA garrison successfully blunted an attempt by NRA troops to scale the barracks wall, so
4305-538: The National Resistance Army (NRA), the Movement's armed organ. By July 1985 the NRA had been largely defeated and pushed out of its strongholds, and Museveni retired to Sweden. On 27 July, several officers of the UNLA launched a coup which overthrew President Obote. General Tito Okello assumed power in his place. The new regime was weak and unstable, and Okello made overtures to anti-Obote rebel groups to form
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4410-438: The Obote and Okello regimes—especially Acholi and Lango people, were subject to abuse and discrimination following the NRA's takeover; some were killed in the streets or forced out of their jobs or homes. Several NRA soldiers stole automobiles from them. Other northerners fled from the repression to their lands of origin. Museveni condemned the violence. Museveni's government sent an emissary to Sudan to entreat Okello to order
4515-515: The Parliament building with a crowd of tens of thousands in attendance. In his inaugural address, he promised to support national unity, public security, and democracy, pledging that his government would schedule elections as soon as possible. His appointed cabinet consisted mostly of NRM members and civil servants. Despite Museveni's promises, many northerners in Kampala—viewed as beneficiaries of
4620-866: The Radio Uganda building, the Uganda Television building, the Nile Mansions, the Uganda International Conference Centre, and the Parliament building. UNLA forces also garrisoned the State House in Entebbe to the south-east. The garrison at Summit View was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Eric Odwar , head of the Southern Brigade, the forces in Kampala's center by Colonel John Kilama, and
4725-439: The UNLA withdrew its battery, and the NRA began its main attack. On the following day the NRA besieged several UNLA installations in Kampala, and by evening had secured Republic House, the UNLA headquarters. On 26 January the NRA captured Radio Uganda, but 1,000 UNLA troops from Entebbe broke through a roadblock and began advancing towards the city. Museveni and his chief of staff, Salim Saleh , redeployed their forces to counter
4830-491: The UNLA's battery began shelling western Kampala. The bombardment targeted the Rubaga Cathedral , which the UNLA suspected had been infiltrated by the NRA. By 22 January the NRA's 7th Battalion had occupied Nansana , while the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 11th Battalions had taken up position on Mutundwe , another hill overlooking Kampala. UNLA and FUNA troops blocked their advance by placing artillery—including anti-aircraft guns— at
4935-601: The UNLA's defense of Kampala as "brief but ferocious". Unlike previous, drawn-out engagements in the Ugandan Bush War, the NRA had won the battle through overwhelming force and direct attack. The removal of the NRA roadblock on the route to Jinja allowed many UNLA troops to escape the city and reorganise to launch a new rebellion eight months later. Saleh maintained that he had ordered the roadblock's removal in consideration of "humanitarian reasons", as there could have been "a blood bath and [UNLA troops'] families would perish in
5040-507: The UNLF's and its army's own internal divisions. The several-hundred strong Kikosi Maalum group was loyal to Milton Obote , who had served as President before Amin took power. Yoweri Museveni controlled the Front for National Salvation , which had about 3,000 members. Over time power shifted to pro-Obote elements in the government and the army. Obote assumed power in 1980 through a disputed election, and ruled through repressive methods, including
5145-503: The abortive invasion of Uganda against the regime of President Idi Amin . The next year, Museveni established the Front for National Salvation and fought alongside Tanzanian forces in the Tanzania–Uganda War , which overthrew Amin. Museveni contested the subsequent 1980 general election on the platform of Uganda Patriotic Movement , though claimed electoral fraud after losing to the unpopular Milton Obote . Museveni unified
5250-496: The afternoon NRA artillery struck an armoury near the UNLA's headquarters, Republic House, causing a large series of explosions. As the fighting for Lubiri barracks raged, the 1st Battalion captured the Bulange , seized the Bakuli junction after heavy fighting, and advanced toward the city center. Republic House was captured early in the evening by the 1st and 3rd Battalions. At about 21:00
5355-483: The agreement if the other was found to be violating human rights . The NRM accused the UNLA of failing to respect Ugandans' rights, and the NRA continued fighting. On 31 December the UNLF government accused the NRA of failing to uphold its terms of the peace agreement by launching attacks, impeding the flow of food to the Mbarara garrison, and refraining from nominating representatives to coordinate further peace measures with
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#17328554850965460-497: The announcement of the win by Museveni. Besigye challenged the election results in the Supreme Court of Uganda. Two of the five judges concluded that there were such illegalities in the elections and that the results should be rejected. The other three decided that the illegalities did not affect the result of the election in a substantial manner, but stated that "there was evidence that in a significant number of polling stations there
5565-530: The applicability of Frantz Fanon 's ideas on revolutionary violence to post-colonial Africa. The exile forces opposed to Idi Amin invaded Uganda from Tanzania in September 1972 and were repelled. In October, Tanzania and Uganda signed the Mogadishu Agreement that denied the rebels the use of Tanzanian soil for aggression against Uganda. Museveni broke away from the mainstream opposition and formed
5670-681: The authority of government. His presidency has been characterized by an upsurge in anti-gay legislation and activity and numerous constitutional amendments like the scrapping of presidential term and age limits in 2005 and 2017, respectively. On 16 January 2021, Museveni was reelected to a sixth term with 58.6% of the vote, despite many videos and reports showing ballot box stuffing, over 400 polling stations with 100% voter turnout and human rights violations. As of 2022 , after 36 years of his authoritarian rule, Uganda has been ranked 166th in GDP (nominal) per capita and 167th by Human Development Index . Museveni
5775-503: The battle—declared that an NRA tank had been destroyed. Soldiers of the 1st Battalion and 3rd Battalion led by Mugisha and Patrick Lumumba employed RPGs to eliminate UNLA anti-armour defences around Radio Uganda. By 15:00 the NRA had secured the Radio Uganda station, killing a UNLA officer and capturing three soldiers. Meanwhile, the 11th Battalion under Chefe Ali captured Nakulabye, Makerere, and Kamwokya. The 11th Battalion only started to encounter substantial resistance in an area between
5880-539: The beginning of Museveni's presidency, he drew strong support from the Bantu-speaking south and southwest, where Museveni had his base. Museveni managed to get the Karamojong , a group of semi- nomads in the sparsely populated northeast that had never had a significant political voice, to align with him by offering them a stake in the new government. The northern region along the Sudanese border proved more troublesome. In
5985-432: The border and was allowing the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) to attack Uganda from rear bases in the DRC. In reality, the UPDF were deployed deep inside the DRC, more than 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) to the west of Uganda's border with the DRC. Troops from Rwanda and Uganda plundered the country's rich mineral deposits and timber . The United States responded to the invasion by suspending all military aid to Uganda,
6090-435: The centre and south-western sections of the country and left Kampala vulnerable to attack. To take advantage of its improving military situation, the NRA High Command decided to launch an offensive to capture the city. Saleh drew up the plans of attack. About 9,600 fighters were allocated for this operation, many of which were UNLA defectors from the Masaka garrison. At the same time, the NRA's 9th and 19th Battalions blocked
6195-452: The constitution and alleged attempts to suppress opposition political forces have attracted criticism from domestic commentators, the international community, and Uganda's aid donors. In a press release, the main opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), accused Museveni of engaging in a "life presidency project", and for bribing members of parliament to vote against constitutional amendments, FDC leaders claimed: The country
6300-475: The country and the world at large to hand over power peacefully and in an orderly manner at the end of his second and last term. Otherwise, his insistence to stand again will expose him as a consummate liar and the biggest political fraudster this country has ever known. As observed by some political commentators, including Wafula Oguttu , Museveni had previously stated that he considered the idea of clinging to office for "15 or more" years ill-advised. Comments by
6405-406: The country were severed. By the afternoon, UNLA troops still held out at the Nile Mansions, and the Parliament building. Around this time, Captain George Nkwanga, the military leader of FEDEMU, was killed in Kampala under disputed circumstances. While the 7th Battalion continued to battle the Makindye garrison, a UNLA force of about 1,000 men penetrated the NRA's 5th Battalion's roadblock along
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#17328554850966510-456: The disclosure. On 10 December Masaka's garrison surrendered to the NRA. On 17 December the UNLF and NRM concluded talks and signed the Nairobi Peace Agreement . The accord nominally ended the war and declared Okello and Museveni President and Vice President of Uganda , respectively, and required the demilitarisation of Kampala until a new army could be established. It also carried a provision which stipulated that one belligerent could disregard
6615-458: The disruption caused by the coup to return to East Africa and rebuild the NRA. In August the NRA launched a series of co-ordinated attacks that resulted in the capture of significant amounts of territory in central and western Uganda. In late September, the NRA laid siege to the UNLA troops in the provincial centre of Masaka and, soon thereafter, the town of Mbarara , both key urban areas in southern Uganda. In October Museveni warned that, in
6720-413: The event of the failure negotiations ongoing between the NRM and the UNLF in Nairobi , "the NRA would take Kampala by force". On 3 December Okello's government released a document allegedly seized from the NRA which carried an order from Museveni to the NRA Chief of Staff, Salim Saleh , to prepare to attack the Ugandan capital, Kampala, if a peace agreement did not materialise. The NRM did not comment on
6825-631: The fighting". In contrast, historians Tom Cooper and Adrien Fontanellaz regarded the roadblock's removal as the result of "a faulty order". Overall, about 20 NRA and 80 UNLA/FUNA soldiers were killed in the fighting, while nearly 3,000 UNLA troops were captured. Most of the UNLA casualties were incurred as troops were shot while attempting to abandon their positions at Radio Uganda and Uganda Television and flee towards Kololo. About 9,000 UNLA soldiers and their families managed to escape from Kampala. Many of these troops retreated towards Jinja and Gulu , looting as they fled. Buildings along Kampala Avenue,
6930-492: The first country to be declared eligible for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, receiving US$ 700 million in aid. Museveni was lauded by some for his affirmative action program for women in the country. He had a female vice-president, Specioza Kazibwe , for nearly a decade, and has done much to encourage women to go to college. On the other hand, Museveni has resisted calls for greater women's family land rights (the right of women to own
7035-411: The following months after being subject to further NRA attacks. In April 1979 Tanzanian forces and the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA), a coalition of armed rebel groups united under the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF), deposed the President of Uganda , Idi Amin . A new UNLF government was installed, but it was weak and exercised little control over the country. This was in part due to
7140-398: The frontlines and in Tanzania . While in Tanzania, he discussed the cooperation of various anti-Amin rebel groups as well as the political future of Uganda with Tanzanian politicians and other Ugandan opposition figures such as Obote. He played a significant part in the Moshi Conference which led to the unification of the opposition as the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF). Yusuf Lule
7245-418: The government. The UNLA forces at Mbarara capitulated soon thereafter. Following their victories, the NRA was able to greatly expand its manpower, and gained access to important military equipment. In contrast, the UNLA's remaining forces were increasingly suffering from defections, low morale, and internal divisions along ethnic lines. The NRA's success at Masaka and Mbarara also solidified their control of
7350-412: The incarceration and killing of dissidents. In February 1981 Museveni and a small band of rebels began attacking UNLA forces, signalling their entry in the Ugandan Bush War . Shortly thereafter a new rebel coalition was organised as the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Museveni was made Vice-Chairman of the National Resistance Council, the group's political body, and Chairman of the High Command of
7455-418: The involvement of Zairean forces in support of Okello's military junta. On 20 January 1986, several hundred troops loyal to Amin were accompanied into Ugandan territory by the Zairean military. The forces intervened following secret training in Zaire and an appeal from Okello ten days previously. By 22 January, government troops in Kampala had begun to quit their posts and masse as the rebels gained ground from
7560-580: The latter resorted to besieging the installation with grenades and machine guns. All foreign missions in the city closed their facilities. The governments of the United States and the United Kingdom advised their nationals in the capital to seek shelter indoors. Radio Uganda broadcast a request from Okello to the NRA for a ceasefire and for the implementation of the Nairobi Peace Agreement. In
7665-480: The main road in the city, were left heavily damaged by the battle. Unlike previous military takeovers in Kampala, the NRA soldiers did not loot in the city. Following the battle, the NRA's 5th Battalion and one platoon from the 3rd Battalion captured Entebbe. Meanwhile, the FEDEMU and UFM reached an agreement with the NRM/NRA, and joined their forces. On 29 January Museveni was sworn in as President of Uganda in front of
7770-419: The nascent National Resistance Movement (NRM) and took control of its armed wing, the NRA. In 1985 the NRA inflicted several key defeats on the UNLF's armed wing, the UNLA, leaving the Ugandan capital, Kampala , vulnerable to attack. Feeling pressured, the UNLF government led by President Tito Okello pursued negotiations with the NRM. The resulting peace agreement failed to end the conflict, and Okello amassed
7875-448: The northern section of the city near the Gulu road . After some fighting, the battalion reached and secured Kawempe . With the removal of the roadblock on the Jinja road, UNLA forces began retreating from Kampala, taking their families with them. Saleh accompanied the 3rd Battalion companies to Namasuba valley where they linked up with a company of the 5th Battalion and took up positions along
7980-513: The only real challenger. In a populist publicity stunt, a pentagenarian Museveni travelled on a bodaboda motorcycle taxi to submit his nomination form for the election. Boda-boda is a cheap and somewhat dangerous (by western standards) method of transporting passengers around towns and villages in East Africa. There was much recrimination and bitterness during the 2001 presidential elections campaign, and incidents of violence occurred following
8085-717: The opposition under the National Resistance Movement and started the Ugandan Bush War . In January 1986, after the decisive Battle of Kampala , Museveni was sworn as president. As president, Museveni suppressed the Ugandan insurgency and oversaw involvement in the Rwandan Civil War and the First Congo War . He ordered an intervention against the Lord's Resistance Army in an effort to halt their insurgency . His rule has been described by scholars as competitive authoritarianism , or illiberal democracy . The press has been under
8190-494: The presidency. The 2001 election campaigns were a heated affair with Museveni threatening to put his rival "six feet under". The election culminated in a petition filed by Besigye at the Supreme Court of Uganda . The court ruled that the elections were not free and fair but declined to nullify the outcome by a 3–2 majority decision. The court held that although there were many cases of election malpractice, they did not affect
8295-438: The private sector and the liberalization of trade at all levels. The NRM came to power promising to restore security and respect for human rights. This was part of the NRM's ten-point programmed, as Museveni noted in his swearing in speech: The second point on our programme is security of person and property. Every person in Uganda must [have absolute] security to live wherever he wants. Any individual, any group who threatens
8400-516: The remaining UNLA forces to surrender, but he stated that he no longer controlled them. The NRA subsequently attacked Jinja, capturing it by late January, followed by Tororo in early February. At this point, UNLA attempted one last time to stem the rebel advance by launching a counter-attack against Tororo and fortifying the crossings of the Nile to prevent the NRA from advancing into northern Uganda. Nevertheless, Museveni's forces inflicted further defeats on
8505-520: The report offered some hope: Any assessment of the NRM government's human rights performance is, perhaps inevitably, less favourable after four years in power than it was in the early months. However, it is not true to say, as some critics and outside observers, that there has been a continuous slide back towards gross human rights abuse, that in some sense Uganda is fated to suffer at the hands of bad government. On 13 September 2019, Museveni's former Inspector General of Police (IGP) General Kale Kayihura
8610-556: The result in a substantial manner. Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki and Justices Alfred Karokora and Joseph Mulenga ruled in favor of the respondents while Justices Aurthur Haggai Oder and John Tsekoko ruled in favor of Besigye. Museveni was elected chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1991 and 1992. Perhaps Museveni's most widely noted accomplishment has been his government's successful campaign against AIDS . During
8715-520: The resultant ceasefire broke down almost immediately. The final agreement, signed in Nairobi, called for a ceasefire, demilitarization of Kampala , integration of the NRA and government forces, and absorption of the NRA leadership into the Military Council. These conditions were never met. While involved in the peace negotiations, Museveni was courting General Mobutu Sésé Seko of Zaire to forestall
8820-459: The results of the 1980 Ugandan general election , claiming that Obote had only won through fraud. Believing that he could only topple Obote's government by waging a guerrilla war and fearful that pro-Obote elements were planning his murder, Museveni began to mobilize his supporter network in Kampala and the rest of the country from December 1980. In secret, he organized the PRA with his bodyguards and
8925-425: The revolution for which they had fought for four years had been "hijacked" by the UNLA, which they viewed as having been discredited by gross human rights violations during Obote II. Despite these reservations, the NRM/NRA eventually agreed to peace talks presided over by a Kenyan delegation headed by President Daniel arap Moi . The talks, which lasted from 26 August to 17 December, were notoriously acrimonious and
9030-404: The second time on 12 May 1996. In 1997 he introduced free primary education. The second set of elections were held in 2001. Museveni got 69 percent of the vote to beat his rival Kizza Besigye . Besigye had been a close confidant of the president and was his physician during the Ugandan Bush War . They had a terrible fallout shortly before the 2001 elections, when Besigye decided to stand for
9135-416: The security of our people must be smashed without mercy. The people of Uganda should die only from natural causes which are beyond our control, but not from fellow human beings who continue to walk the length and breadth of our land. Although Museveni headed a new government in Kampala, the NRM could not project its influence fully across Ugandan territory, finding itself fighting a number of insurgencies. From
9240-423: The south and south-west. Museveni was sworn in as president on 29 January. "This is not a mere change of guard, it is a fundamental change," said Museveni, after a ceremony conducted by British-born Chief Justice Peter Allen. Speaking to crowds of thousands outside the Ugandan parliament, Museveni promised a return to democracy: "The people of Africa, the people of Uganda, are entitled to a democratic government. It
9345-509: The swampy area near Busega, bombing their positions until being driven away by the rebels' anti-aircraft fire. After the helicopter's unsucessful attacks, the UNLA troops withdrew from the Busega roundabout despite its well-defendable position. The government soldiers left a 14.5mm gun behind as they retreated from the roundabout. A band of NRA soldiers led by Kasirye Gwanga reconnoitred the area, and, discovering that it had been abandoned, radioed
9450-493: The third European country in as many months to announce symbolic cutbacks in foreign aid to Uganda in response to political leadership in the country. The UK and Ireland made similar moves in May. "Our foreign ministry wanted to highlight two issues: the changing of the constitution to lift term limits, and problems with opening the political space, human rights and corruption", said Norwegian Ambassador Tore Gjos. Of particular significance
9555-462: The threat, in the process opening a gap in their cordon around Kampala and allowing many UNLA troops to escape. Okello fled in a helicopter and flew to Sudan. In the evening an NRA battalion ambushed the UNLA troops advancing from Entebbe while a company moved to attack their rear, forcing them to capitulate and ending the battle. On 29 January Museveni was sworn in as President of Uganda . The UNLA attempted to regroup in northern Uganda, but collapsed in
9660-471: The time was a hot bed of radical pan-African and Marxist political thought. While at university, he formed the University Students' African Revolutionary Front student activist group and led a student delegation to FRELIMO -held territory in Portuguese Mozambique where they received military training. Studying under the leftist Walter Rodney , among others, Museveni wrote a university thesis on
9765-525: The troops guarding the Kampala–Entebbe Road by Colonel Obonyo. On 17 January 1986 the NRA began advancing on Kampala. The NRA's 1st, 3rd, 5th and 11th Battalions moved along the main axis of attack from Masaka, while the 7th Battalion under Matayo Kyaligonza travelled down Hoima Road towards the city. UNLA troops were sent to intercept them south-west of the city, but they withdrew and ignored their officers' orders for them to return. On 20 January
9870-559: The venture. "We felt that the Rwandese started the war and it was their duty to go ahead and finish the job, but our President took time and convinced us that we had a stake in what is going on in Congo", one senior officer is reported as saying. The official reasons Uganda gave for the intervention were to stop a "genocide" against the Banyamulenge in the DRC in concert with Rwandan forces, and that Kabila had failed to provide security along
9975-430: Was a former ally of Museveni and Kagame. Museveni and a few close military advisers alone made the decision to send the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) into the DRC. A number of highly placed sources indicate that the Ugandan parliament and civilian advisers were not consulted over the matter, as is required by the 1995 constitution. Museveni apparently persuaded an initially reluctant High Command to go along with
10080-571: Was a mu-seven" (meaning "in the seventh"). This is how he obtained the name Museveni. His family migrated to Ntungamo , then within the British Protectorate of Uganda . Museveni attended Kyamate Elementary School, Mbarara High School , and Ntare School for his primary and secondary education. He attended the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania for his tertiary education, where he studied economics and political science. The university at
10185-442: Was appointed as UNLF chairman and the potential President of Uganda after Amin's overthrow. Museveni felt dissatisfied with the results of the conference, believing that he and his followers were not granted enough representation. With the overthrow of Amin in 1979 and the contested election that returned Milton Obote to power in 1980, Museveni returned to Uganda with his supporters to gather strength in their rural strongholds in
10290-405: Was cheating" and that in some areas of the country, "the principle of free and fair election was compromised." After the elections, political forces allied to Museveni began a campaign to loosen constitutional limits on the presidential term, allowing him to stand for election again in 2006. The 1995 Ugandan constitution provided for a two-term limit on the tenure of the president. Moves to alter
10395-657: Was claimed by the Clinton administration to be a "beacon of hope" who runs a "uni-party democracy", despite Uganda not permitting multiparty politics . Museveni has been an important ally of the United States in the War on Terror . Following the Rwandan genocide of 1994, the new Rwandan government felt threatened by the presence across the Rwandan border in the Democratic Republic of
10500-530: Was estimated to be born on 15 September 1944 to parents Mzee Amos Kaguta (1916–2013), a cattle keeper, and Esteri Kokundeka Nganzi (1918–2001), in Ntungamo. He is an ethnic Hima of the kingdom of Mpororo (now part of Ankole ). According to Julius Nyerere , Museveni's father, Amos Kaguta, was a soldier in the King's African Rifles ' 7th battalion during World War II . Yoweri was born, relatives used to say, "His father
10605-529: Was made vice-chairman of the National Resistance Council, the group's political body, and Chairman of the High Command of the National Resistance Army (NRA), the Movement's armed organ. Yoweri Museveni Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and military officer who is the ninth and current president of Uganda since 1986. As of 2024, he
10710-726: Was placed on the United States Department of the Treasury sanctions list for gross violation of Human rights during his reign as the IGP (from 2005 to March 2018). This was due to activities of the Uganda Police's Flying Squad Unit that involved torture and corruption . Kayihura was subsequently replaced with Martin Okoth Ochola . The first elections under Museveni's government were held on 9 May 1996. Museveni defeated Paul Ssemogerere of
10815-621: Was pleased by this development. In December 1978 Nyerere attached Museveni and his forces to Tanzanian troops under Brigadier Silas Mayunga . Museveni and his FRONASA troops subsequently accompanied the Tanzanians during the counter-invasion of Uganda . He was present during the capture and destruction of Mbarara in February 1979, and involved in the Western Uganda campaign of 1979 . In course of these operations, he alternatively spent time at
10920-425: Was subsequently ordered to secure the city centre. Along Parliament Avenue an NRA BTR-60 armoured personnel carrier (APC) was struck by a UNLA rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). The APC attempted to reverse to evade further fire but collided with a lorry which was hauling a 37 mm anti-aircraft gun. UNLA troops subsequently set both vehicles ablaze, and Radio Uganda—which had been broadcasting UNLA propaganda throughout
11025-511: Was the arrest of two opposition MPs from the FDC. Human rights campaigners charged that the arrests were politically motivated. Human Rights Watch stated that "the arrest of these opposition MPs smacks of political opportunism". Battle of Kampala Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) National Resistance Army (NRA) The Battle of Kampala was a battle of the Ugandan Bush War that took place from 17 to 26 January 1986 in which forces of
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