{UAH} HOW DID THE NRA'S CONDUCT IN NORTHERTN UGANDA CONTRIBUTE TO THE TWO DECADES INSURGENCY?
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HOW DID THE NRA'S CONDUCT IN NORTHERN UGANDA CONTRIBUTE TO THE TWO DECADES INSURGENCY?
A number of defeated UNLAs and civilians from Northern Uganda had fled to Sudan. This included even the ousted President Gen. Tito Okello and his top army officers like Bazilio Okello and others. Through diplomatic channels, the planes that had taken them were released back by the government of Sudan to the NRA government. When the NRA reached Northern Uganda it had a pre- concieved perception that the region was hostile. The UNLA felt betrayed by Museveni through the Nairobi peace talks and Museveni felt guility conscious. After taking over power, he often used to prise Julius Oketta for his heroic performance at Katonga bridge but he failed to utilise him to win the confidence of the others. Therefore, no doubt there existed a wave of suspicion between the two parties. The Special District Administrator (SDA) was Kayumba Nyamwasa (later became Rwanda's Chief of Staff). The NRA carried out arrests, detention and looting and destruction of personal property. Museveni issued an altmatum for all the former soldiers to surrender. Those who surrendered were held in detention before being ferried away to Kiburara Prison in Kamwenge, the western region and held in appalling conditions presumably to undergo political indoctrination. Later the concentration camp was shifted to Nabisojjo in Luwero district. Some died of disease due to poor living conditions while others managed to escape back to their homes. A strong blocking force was stationed at Nkonge Railway Station to check on the escapees. The former UNLAs and the civilians who had fled to Sudan reorganised under UPDM/A and they attaked the NRA's 28th Bn at Bibia that was under the command of Jet Mwebaze. Though the invasion was repulsed, it opened the way for further incursion before the insurgents established themselves inside the country giving rise to the two decades insurgency.
This attack and the incursions that ensued further soured the already fragile relationship. Attrocities by the NRA agaist the general population became the order of the day. When put to task, the NRA goverment simply put the blame on the former FEDEMO soldiers whom it had reorganised under 35th Bn. Consequently, 35th Bn was relocated from the northern region to Mubende but the situation continued to deteriorate. In March 1986 Museveni told a BBC Panorama program "what is the Geneva Convention on war! I have never read it". The UPDA under the command of able commanders of the former UNLA like Eric Odwar, Kilama and others fought serious battles against the NRA. In a memorable battle at Coner Kilak, the NRA was overwhelmed and the field commander Fred Rwigyema narrowly survived death. That particular battle was allmost about to change the course of events.
By the early 2007, it was clear that the general population in Acholi subregion had rejected the NRA goverment and were determined to defend their lives and property hence a mass uprising. The NRA moved to arrest, torture, detain, burn food granaries and hoading people into concentration camps code named IDPs. Reacting to allegations of torture, Museveni told the international media "I dont know about torture. I have educated myself on many things but on torture I have not known the boundary between what is torture and what isnt torture. I know the NRA tie these people when they catch them. They tie their hands backward. Am now being told this is torture. It is the traditional method." (Daily Nation - Jan 26 1987). By 'traditional' Museveni meant that the practice of tying people Kandoya/Three Piece was a traditional NRA practice that had originated from the bush days in Luwero. The UPDA was neutralised by the the Killing of its top commanders and the signing of a peace accord with the NRA at Pece stadium by a faction led by Angello Okello. The resistance thrived into the Holly Spirit Movement under Alice Lakwena. The population had been driven into such desparacy that even the elites like Prof. Isaac Newton Ojok were among the Lakwena followers. Later the resistance culminated into the Joseph Kony's LRA.
The IDPs were not fit for human habitation. Thousands of people died from preventable diseases. The camps experienced malnutrition, forced disappearances, rape, rampant fire breakups, lack of formal education, breakdown of the moral fibre and all other associated evils. However, the IDP camps made it easy for the insurgents to mobilise for human resource, logistics and intelligence. When it came to privatisation of parastatals and retrenchment of civil servants, it was those parartatals that were dominated by people fron the north and the north eastern regions that were the first to go. Coupled by the undettered raids by Karamojong warriors, the population was left in an awkward economic situation. An independent journalist then, Teddy Seezi Cheye of the Uganda Confidential described the situation thus "The President was practicing scorched earth policy as far as northern Uganda is concerned."
This attack and the incursions that ensued further soured the already fragile relationship. Attrocities by the NRA agaist the general population became the order of the day. When put to task, the NRA goverment simply put the blame on the former FEDEMO soldiers whom it had reorganised under 35th Bn. Consequently, 35th Bn was relocated from the northern region to Mubende but the situation continued to deteriorate. In March 1986 Museveni told a BBC Panorama program "what is the Geneva Convention on war! I have never read it". The UPDA under the command of able commanders of the former UNLA like Eric Odwar, Kilama and others fought serious battles against the NRA. In a memorable battle at Coner Kilak, the NRA was overwhelmed and the field commander Fred Rwigyema narrowly survived death. That particular battle was allmost about to change the course of events.
By the early 2007, it was clear that the general population in Acholi subregion had rejected the NRA goverment and were determined to defend their lives and property hence a mass uprising. The NRA moved to arrest, torture, detain, burn food granaries and hoading people into concentration camps code named IDPs. Reacting to allegations of torture, Museveni told the international media "I dont know about torture. I have educated myself on many things but on torture I have not known the boundary between what is torture and what isnt torture. I know the NRA tie these people when they catch them. They tie their hands backward. Am now being told this is torture. It is the traditional method." (Daily Nation - Jan 26 1987). By 'traditional' Museveni meant that the practice of tying people Kandoya/Three Piece was a traditional NRA practice that had originated from the bush days in Luwero. The UPDA was neutralised by the the Killing of its top commanders and the signing of a peace accord with the NRA at Pece stadium by a faction led by Angello Okello. The resistance thrived into the Holly Spirit Movement under Alice Lakwena. The population had been driven into such desparacy that even the elites like Prof. Isaac Newton Ojok were among the Lakwena followers. Later the resistance culminated into the Joseph Kony's LRA.
The IDPs were not fit for human habitation. Thousands of people died from preventable diseases. The camps experienced malnutrition, forced disappearances, rape, rampant fire breakups, lack of formal education, breakdown of the moral fibre and all other associated evils. However, the IDP camps made it easy for the insurgents to mobilise for human resource, logistics and intelligence. When it came to privatisation of parastatals and retrenchment of civil servants, it was those parartatals that were dominated by people fron the north and the north eastern regions that were the first to go. Coupled by the undettered raids by Karamojong warriors, the population was left in an awkward economic situation. An independent journalist then, Teddy Seezi Cheye of the Uganda Confidential described the situation thus "The President was practicing scorched earth policy as far as northern Uganda is concerned."
Posted by Uganda - A Change of Guards!
Viele GruBe
Robukui
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