{UAH} SOUTH SUDAN REMINDS UGANDANS OF WHAT CAUSED THE 1985 'COUP OF THE OKELLOS*
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W HAT CAUSED THE 1985 'COUP OF THE OKELLOS'?
Despite internal weaknesses, by early 1985, the UNLA was still doing well in its operations against the NRA in Luwero. However, in one incident around late 1984 the NRA Mobile Brigade under saleh had dealt a blow on the UNLA in Lukola. By comparison, Kony's LRA has been far more superior in combat than the NRA. There have been incidents where the LRA almost wiped out entire units of the NRA. The NRA's Lukola successes did not give the NRA an upperhand. Therefore, the possibility of the NRA overthrowing the UPC government and ending the bush hardships remained a dream.
In another survival manoeuvre, the NRA decided to open up bases in the Rwenzori mountain. For fear of loosing personal control, Museveni had earlier arrogantly objected to the suggestion of setting up such bases in Rwenzori. Cheif Ali led the group of fighters and the NRC to the Rwenzori under the overall command of Fred Rwigyema. Cheif Ali had earlier been in the area even before the 1980 elections as a commander of the UNLF Anti-Dictatorship of the Gang of Four. He had established anetwork of contacts in the area composed of Batooro in the lowlands and Bakonjo up in the mountain areas. Around early 1982 the UNLA 31st Battalion under Capt Tom Odong had suscessfuly flashed the group out of the mountains. Other Bakonjo boys surrendered to the UNLA under the banner of Rwenzururu. Cheif Ali bowed to Museveni's pleas and had led a group of his fighters to the NRA in Luwero. Some including his own brother, Nasasira refused to join hands with Museveni and instead went home. From Luwero the group crossed the Mityana road around Kiganda, followed the westernrailway line by passing Kabamba barracks, branching off around Rwamwanja and they following themain electricity line through Rugonjo, Dura and then crossing the Fort Portal/Kasese road at Kasunganyanja where they they were briefly confronted by the UNLA before settling in the Rwenzori Mountains. This is what the government wrongly reported that "the NRA was fleeing to Congo". The NRC members under Moses Kigongo were settled higher in the mountain at Katebwa. The rest of the fighting group including the training wing established bases in the lower areas overlooking the Rubona government farm.
The NRA group under Saleh that had remained in Luwero went underground in order to deceive the UNLA that the entire NRA had gone to the western region. All along Museveni was in Sweden and such major decisions were done by Saleh and group. Tumwine was outside the country and Rwigyema was the Ag. Army Commander. Tinyefuza the Chief of Intelligence was a convict serving an 18 months detention sentence for disobeing the Chairman of the High Command. Jim Muhwezi was now the Ag Chief of Intelligence and Mugisha Muntu was the Director of Military Intelligence. Sheif Ali reactivated his network of contacts and swang into action of reconaissance of UNLA positions and clandestine recruitment into NRA. The killings by the NRA of local UPC leaders commonly refered to as Vipingamizi (counter revolutionary) commenced. On the part of goverment, UNLA, NASA, Youth Wingers and UPC scrambled for harrasment, arrests, detention and forced disappearances of suspected local collaborators who were simply members of the DP. Also the other half baked militias (NYA) were rushed to the western frontline. Earlier on, the now desperate Museveni met with his longtime comrade in arms Paulo Muwanga in a German Horpital. He tried to urge him into getting rid of Obote to pave way for meaningful peace talks. Whatever was agreed on is best known by the two.
A new Brigae Commander Maj. Abot who was despatched to the west to oversee operations against the NRA died within a few days in an ambush at Nyakigumba along the Fort Portal/Kasese road. Days later, the NRA overran a UNLA base at Rubona Farm charging among others the mighty multi barrel artillery piece, Katutsya. The two incidents demoralised the UNLA in Fort Portal but paved the way for NRA's penetration. Through the mediation of the Catholic Bishop Sarapio Magambo and some elders in Tooro, the Muhoti Barracks based UNLA 's 31st Battallion under Capt. Okwera joined hands with NRA. In Kampala, the Langis and Acholis in the UNLA clashed in Mbuya and Bugolobi in what Paulo Mwanga described as "uncordinated troop movement". Cardinal Nsubuga had always been supporting the NRA, UFM and the DP against the UPC. The DP using the Catholic faith liaised with the leading Catholic members of the DP like Andrew Adimola who in turn convinced Bazilio Olara Okello to lead the Acholi soldiers into rebellion. Being the majority in UNLA, they retreated to the North, reorganised and then drove back to Kampala in long columns without any fight only to find the UPC goverment had left power. The soldiers chanted DP victory songs and the DP cellebrated its coming to power.
INFORMATION IS POWER.
In another survival manoeuvre, the NRA decided to open up bases in the Rwenzori mountain. For fear of loosing personal control, Museveni had earlier arrogantly objected to the suggestion of setting up such bases in Rwenzori. Cheif Ali led the group of fighters and the NRC to the Rwenzori under the overall command of Fred Rwigyema. Cheif Ali had earlier been in the area even before the 1980 elections as a commander of the UNLF Anti-Dictatorship of the Gang of Four. He had established anetwork of contacts in the area composed of Batooro in the lowlands and Bakonjo up in the mountain areas. Around early 1982 the UNLA 31st Battalion under Capt Tom Odong had suscessfuly flashed the group out of the mountains. Other Bakonjo boys surrendered to the UNLA under the banner of Rwenzururu. Cheif Ali bowed to Museveni's pleas and had led a group of his fighters to the NRA in Luwero. Some including his own brother, Nasasira refused to join hands with Museveni and instead went home. From Luwero the group crossed the Mityana road around Kiganda, followed the westernrailway line by passing Kabamba barracks, branching off around Rwamwanja and they following themain electricity line through Rugonjo, Dura and then crossing the Fort Portal/Kasese road at Kasunganyanja where they they were briefly confronted by the UNLA before settling in the Rwenzori Mountains. This is what the government wrongly reported that "the NRA was fleeing to Congo". The NRC members under Moses Kigongo were settled higher in the mountain at Katebwa. The rest of the fighting group including the training wing established bases in the lower areas overlooking the Rubona government farm.
The NRA group under Saleh that had remained in Luwero went underground in order to deceive the UNLA that the entire NRA had gone to the western region. All along Museveni was in Sweden and such major decisions were done by Saleh and group. Tumwine was outside the country and Rwigyema was the Ag. Army Commander. Tinyefuza the Chief of Intelligence was a convict serving an 18 months detention sentence for disobeing the Chairman of the High Command. Jim Muhwezi was now the Ag Chief of Intelligence and Mugisha Muntu was the Director of Military Intelligence. Sheif Ali reactivated his network of contacts and swang into action of reconaissance of UNLA positions and clandestine recruitment into NRA. The killings by the NRA of local UPC leaders commonly refered to as Vipingamizi (counter revolutionary) commenced. On the part of goverment, UNLA, NASA, Youth Wingers and UPC scrambled for harrasment, arrests, detention and forced disappearances of suspected local collaborators who were simply members of the DP. Also the other half baked militias (NYA) were rushed to the western frontline. Earlier on, the now desperate Museveni met with his longtime comrade in arms Paulo Muwanga in a German Horpital. He tried to urge him into getting rid of Obote to pave way for meaningful peace talks. Whatever was agreed on is best known by the two.
A new Brigae Commander Maj. Abot who was despatched to the west to oversee operations against the NRA died within a few days in an ambush at Nyakigumba along the Fort Portal/Kasese road. Days later, the NRA overran a UNLA base at Rubona Farm charging among others the mighty multi barrel artillery piece, Katutsya. The two incidents demoralised the UNLA in Fort Portal but paved the way for NRA's penetration. Through the mediation of the Catholic Bishop Sarapio Magambo and some elders in Tooro, the Muhoti Barracks based UNLA 's 31st Battallion under Capt. Okwera joined hands with NRA. In Kampala, the Langis and Acholis in the UNLA clashed in Mbuya and Bugolobi in what Paulo Mwanga described as "uncordinated troop movement". Cardinal Nsubuga had always been supporting the NRA, UFM and the DP against the UPC. The DP using the Catholic faith liaised with the leading Catholic members of the DP like Andrew Adimola who in turn convinced Bazilio Olara Okello to lead the Acholi soldiers into rebellion. Being the majority in UNLA, they retreated to the North, reorganised and then drove back to Kampala in long columns without any fight only to find the UPC goverment had left power. The soldiers chanted DP victory songs and the DP cellebrated its coming to power.
INFORMATION IS POWER.
Posted by Uganda - A Change of Guards!
Viele GruBe
Robukui
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