{UAH} PEACE TALKS, NRA STYLE
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Museveni went to the Nairobi peace talks well knowing that he was in a vulnerable situation and was armed with only one weapon - the art of manipulation. In the west, NRA fighters were assured not to be bothered by the ongoing talks. Instead, recruitment and training was intensified. Some recruits would even come in from as far as the government controlled areas in Buganda and Busoga.
A ceasefire was put in place to allow the peace talks a smoth progress. The NRA went into a further merry making. The goverment delegation to the peace talks was composed among others DP Paulo Semogerere and Sam Kutesa. The men Museveni feared most among the government delagation were Paulo Mwanga and Col. Gad Wilson Toko. He pushed for their removal and they were dropped. Unknown to the government delegation was that Sam Kuteesa was Museveni's spy. As a way of buying time, Museveni kept shifting goal posts in his demands. However, what stunned him most was the level of recognition the goverment accorded to Salim Saleh yet he was not the overall commander of the NRA. Saleh's popularity worried Museveni very much then and continues to be a source of wory hence accounting for why he has always kept him at the periphery of the NRA.
When the NRA went to the west in mid 1985, Saleh's Mobile Brigae had remained in Luwero. During the ceasefire period, NRA's Mobile Brigae would freely mix with the UNLAs in the Luwero Triangle. Senior UNLA officers even tried to entice Saleh to just abandom Museveni the politician and join hands with government to pursue a military carreer. They would bring him whatever he needed from Kampala more especiall alcahol. It is because of the cease fire and that mood of oneness that NRA's Pecos Kuteesa managed to trick all the UNLAs and disarmed them in Kiboga.
To avert a possible sell out, Museveni ordered Saleh's Mobile Brigade to leave Luwero and link up with the now main NRA in the Western region. One would wonder why the UNLA did not move into Luwero to finish off the locals whom according to Museveni the NRA had been offering security. Of course Luwero Triange meant more than Luwero the district. At this time even Kyaligonza had to leave his operational bases in some areas of Mukono district. In the west the the mobile brigade moved through Mityana, Mubende and headed for Masaka where it established its headquarters at Lwengo. The UNLA's 12th Battallion under the able command of Julius Oketta refused to surrender to NRA. The NRA could not attempt to attack the barracks because of the landscape which is its natural defence but moreso the heavy undetonated mines that lay intact all around the defence. At the time the NRA did not have heavy artillery that could sustain a bombardment of the barracks into surrendering. The goverment tried to keep the besieged troops in Masaka barracks supplied but the pilots were not very accurate as some of the supplies would land into the areas under the control of the NRA. The Commanding Officer, Julius Oketta using the military radio would bitterly send strong worded messages. At one point he pointed our that "........the NRA are proving to be men and we are not..." before suggesting that the government should disconnect power supply to the NRA controlled Western region. Around the same time some UFM and FEDEMO Baganda boys crossed to the NRA led by among others Ndugute aka Kalisoliso (RPF). Even Kasirye Gwanga may have become part of the NRA around this time but he always claims to be a historical member of NRA.
The UNLA in Kampala planned a major offensive to rescue the now trapped Masaka barracks. The NRA moved faster to block them at Katonga bridge resulting into the stalemate. The UNLA was let down by an earlier promise by FUNA to avail 20000 troops but it proved to be a hoax. They would often exchange verbal artillery i.e the UNLA would shout to the NRA that "tomorow we are taking tea from Masaka" and they would reply in the opposite. NRA's Pecos Kuteesa in particular would shout to UNLA's Herbert Murombe aka Odudua (a Hima) wondering over why Murombe was on the side of the Anyanyas and would call him names like you are fieces. Herbert would assure Pecos that he would only have to be captured first for him to join the NRA. Herbert is now a senior officer in the NRA. Security in Kampala was being managed by the different armed groups who lacked a centralised command and control. Another unknown force in Kampala was the Museveni's clandestine group who fueled the insecurity. Serwanga Lwanga was captured by the government and by coincidence a plane was hijacked by NRA's Innocent Bisangwa from Entebbe and taken to the NRA in Kasese. In exchange for the plane and the hortages, Serwanga was set free.
A peace deal was signed on 7th Dec 1985. Saleh negotiated with Julius Oketta who as a condition was left to command his own forces that helped to dislodge the UNLA from Katonga bridge - opening the door for Museveni to march to Kampala and take power.
A ceasefire was put in place to allow the peace talks a smoth progress. The NRA went into a further merry making. The goverment delegation to the peace talks was composed among others DP Paulo Semogerere and Sam Kutesa. The men Museveni feared most among the government delagation were Paulo Mwanga and Col. Gad Wilson Toko. He pushed for their removal and they were dropped. Unknown to the government delegation was that Sam Kuteesa was Museveni's spy. As a way of buying time, Museveni kept shifting goal posts in his demands. However, what stunned him most was the level of recognition the goverment accorded to Salim Saleh yet he was not the overall commander of the NRA. Saleh's popularity worried Museveni very much then and continues to be a source of wory hence accounting for why he has always kept him at the periphery of the NRA.
When the NRA went to the west in mid 1985, Saleh's Mobile Brigae had remained in Luwero. During the ceasefire period, NRA's Mobile Brigae would freely mix with the UNLAs in the Luwero Triangle. Senior UNLA officers even tried to entice Saleh to just abandom Museveni the politician and join hands with government to pursue a military carreer. They would bring him whatever he needed from Kampala more especiall alcahol. It is because of the cease fire and that mood of oneness that NRA's Pecos Kuteesa managed to trick all the UNLAs and disarmed them in Kiboga.
To avert a possible sell out, Museveni ordered Saleh's Mobile Brigade to leave Luwero and link up with the now main NRA in the Western region. One would wonder why the UNLA did not move into Luwero to finish off the locals whom according to Museveni the NRA had been offering security. Of course Luwero Triange meant more than Luwero the district. At this time even Kyaligonza had to leave his operational bases in some areas of Mukono district. In the west the the mobile brigade moved through Mityana, Mubende and headed for Masaka where it established its headquarters at Lwengo. The UNLA's 12th Battallion under the able command of Julius Oketta refused to surrender to NRA. The NRA could not attempt to attack the barracks because of the landscape which is its natural defence but moreso the heavy undetonated mines that lay intact all around the defence. At the time the NRA did not have heavy artillery that could sustain a bombardment of the barracks into surrendering. The goverment tried to keep the besieged troops in Masaka barracks supplied but the pilots were not very accurate as some of the supplies would land into the areas under the control of the NRA. The Commanding Officer, Julius Oketta using the military radio would bitterly send strong worded messages. At one point he pointed our that "........the NRA are proving to be men and we are not..." before suggesting that the government should disconnect power supply to the NRA controlled Western region. Around the same time some UFM and FEDEMO Baganda boys crossed to the NRA led by among others Ndugute aka Kalisoliso (RPF). Even Kasirye Gwanga may have become part of the NRA around this time but he always claims to be a historical member of NRA.
The UNLA in Kampala planned a major offensive to rescue the now trapped Masaka barracks. The NRA moved faster to block them at Katonga bridge resulting into the stalemate. The UNLA was let down by an earlier promise by FUNA to avail 20000 troops but it proved to be a hoax. They would often exchange verbal artillery i.e the UNLA would shout to the NRA that "tomorow we are taking tea from Masaka" and they would reply in the opposite. NRA's Pecos Kuteesa in particular would shout to UNLA's Herbert Murombe aka Odudua (a Hima) wondering over why Murombe was on the side of the Anyanyas and would call him names like you are fieces. Herbert would assure Pecos that he would only have to be captured first for him to join the NRA. Herbert is now a senior officer in the NRA. Security in Kampala was being managed by the different armed groups who lacked a centralised command and control. Another unknown force in Kampala was the Museveni's clandestine group who fueled the insecurity. Serwanga Lwanga was captured by the government and by coincidence a plane was hijacked by NRA's Innocent Bisangwa from Entebbe and taken to the NRA in Kasese. In exchange for the plane and the hortages, Serwanga was set free.
A peace deal was signed on 7th Dec 1985. Saleh negotiated with Julius Oketta who as a condition was left to command his own forces that helped to dislodge the UNLA from Katonga bridge - opening the door for Museveni to march to Kampala and take power.
Posted by Uganda - A Change of Guards!
Viele GruBe
Robukui
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