WAS MUSEVENI JUSTIFIED FOR GOING TO WAR AFTER THE 1980 ELECTIONS?

WAS MUSEVENI JUSTIFIED FOR GOING TO WAR AFTER THE 1980 ELECTIONS?

Throughout the 1980 election campaigns Museveni publicly declared the he would go to the bush if the elections were rigged. Actually, to him the election campaigns was just an opportunity to sound war drums. Immediately after the elections, the situation remained calm. The DP went to court and lodged election petitions. The victorious UPC formed a goverment as the DP formed the opposition in parliament. The top executive of Museveni's UPM met at Kintu Musoke's residence in lungujja, a Kampala suburb under Museveni's chairmanship to discuss the way forward for the party and Uganda. The Executive Committee discussed two issues; whether to go back to the people and build the party or to take up arms and fight the government. Members, except Museveni, unanimously agreed to build the party. Museveni stormed out of the meeting declaring that he had taken the option of armed rebellion. This meeting marked the end of Museveni and UPM's shortlived marriage of convenience. That is why Museveni does not want even to talk about UPM. 

The elections had taken place on 10th December 1980. Museveni launched his guerrilla war just a month later by attacking Kabamba Barracks on 6th February 1981. What crimes had the UPC government committed in such a short periord so as to deserve fighting it! Since the conclusion of the election exercise, Museveni had remained a free person in Kampala and the whole country. That is how he managed to take his time to organise and launch his first attack. Driven by guility consciousnes, that is why immediately after every sham election held under his government he heavily deploys the army at all key installations, places opposition leaders either under preventive detention or 24 hour surveillance. He fears they may take off to the bush to start armed rebellion against him.

Having been the leader of a faction (FRONASA) of the national army (UNLA), Minister of Defence and Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, Museveni had made enough preparation for the guerrilla war much earlier. He had mobilised personnel, logistics, intelligence and finance. His claims of having started with 27 men and 21 guns is a hoax. In Kabamba alone, he already had men and arms ready for him to pick. Amama Mbabazi had clandestinely visited the barracks a day earlier for reconnaisance. JJ Odong who was the Intelligence Officer at Kabamba, Tadeo Kanyankole and others who were stationed in the same barracks knew before hand and facilitated the attack. After the attack JJ Odong was arrested and detained in Luzira until in 1985 when he was released after Okello coup. Earlier on Museveni's close Confidant Andrew Lutaaya had delivered arms in Kiboga where the group delibarately withdrew after the Kabamba attack. The local pastrolist population around Kabamba barracks played a big role in reconnaisance. Earlier on Kabamba had been the assembly point for FRONASA aka Red Army during the army reorganisation. Only the 16 guns brought by Julius Chihandae from Gulu barracks where he was the Administrative Officer are always mentioned. What about the arms in possession of Museveni's private army part of which intervened at a roadblock at Kireka!

Thefore by Museveni resorting to war after the 1980 elections, he was trying another gamble at his childhood Presidential ambition.
It had been planned much earlier and no precipitated by the alleged rigging of the 1980 elections.

INFORMATION IS POWER. 

Viele GruBe

Robukui