{UAH} HOW WAS THE NRA ABLE TO SURVIVE AFTER THE FAILED SURRENDER TO UPC GOVERNEMNTé RIP OGOLE
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HOW WAS THE NRA ABLE SURVIVE AFTER THE FAILED SURRENDER TO UPC GOVERNMENT?
Katabarwa's death was a victory for Museveni and group who did not favour talking peace with government. Museveni used Katabarwa's death to win back the confidence of the NRA. He preached that the government was not in favour of peaceful resolution of the conflict. He capitalised on Katabarwa's demise as a detterent measure for any other individual or group that would front the idea of surrender again.
The Col. John Ogole led 'operation Bonanza' had shattered the NRA. The UNLA Korean trained 'Crack Unit' based at Nakasongola was also making progress agins the NRA. However, within the UNLA, serious internal weaknesses remained a threat. The Chief of Staff, Gen David Oyite Ojok had died in a plane crash. It took long for a replacement because in the UNLA promotions and appointments were the work of the Defence Council and not a one man show as is the case with Museveni's NRA. Within the UNLA existed underground power squables betwen the Langis and Acholis- the two dominant tribes in the UNLA. The President and Commander in Chief was a Langi, the Chief of Defence forces Gen. Tito Okello was an Acholi while the former Chief of Staff Gen. Oyite Ojok had been a Langi. The Defence council tasked the CDF Gen. Tito Okello to submit to the Defence Council the names of the potential candidates for consideration. Tito Okello dragged his feet because of the Langi/Acholi issue. In terms of seniority, Bazilio Okello an Acholi was very senior but he was illiterate and due for retirement. The other candidate was Brig. Smith Opon Achak a Langi, educated and well trained. Tito Okello the CDF was in favour of Bazilio Okello. At one time he reported back to the Defence Council that the personal files of the two nominees had been locked up by the then Director of Records Col. Mwaka who had gone for medical treatment abroad. The Defence Council dirrected the CDF to despatch someone to go Mwaka and get the keys to these files. During the next meeting Tito Okello without giving reason reported that he had not secured the personal files. He vaguely tole members that "you can decide". The Defence council relied on previous minutes that merited Brig. Smith Achak as the favourite candidate and he was approved and appointed the new Chief of Staff. This development marked the start of animosity between Acholis and Langis.
Still within UNLA existed major internal contradictions. The key players within the Ministry of Defence and the UNLA scrambled for influence. The Minister of State for Defence Peter Otai and Col. William Omaria were recruiting axaulary forces into the UNLA commonly known at militias. The same was happening in Acholi. The half baked militias came to be refered to as NYA (Not Yet Approved) because they did not have army numbers. These young and half baked boys would also be introduced into the operations against the NRA in Luwero thus further aggravating the indiscipline of the UNLA.
During the same period the UNLA was set to undergo a major overhaul and reorganisation to give it a proffessional image. The exercise was set to see the retirement of the aged and uneducated majority of who were Acholis. Already, a Britisg training team (BMATT) had set camp at Jinja Garrisson. UK defence companies were the major suppliers of some logistics to the UNLA. FRANKLIN supplied quality uniforms to the UNLA and the culture of kickbacks as the case with Museven's NRA, was not prevallen then. Amidist all that, the NRA was reactivated by a huge consigment of arms from Libya's Gadafi and successfuly airdropped into its Luwero hideouts in Lukoola. It is there arms that breathed a new life into the NRA. With these arms a successful attack on UNLA in Masindi barracks added more arms to the NRA. Thanks to the job well done by retired Maj. Kaka Bagenda and his team who successfuly carried out an execellent reconnaisance of Masindi Barracks. Maj. Bagenda quit the NRA around early 1990 a disappointed man and lives a quiet life in the Islands.
The NRA fighters who had become battle hardened, and with these newly acquired arms coupled by the able command of military genus like Saleh, was able to inflict a heavy blow on the UNLA in Lukola. At the same time, the NRA was able to despatch part of its group to open bases in the Rwenzori mountain. The events that followed are what gave rise to the 1985 coup against the UPC goverment.
INFORMATION IS POWER.
The Col. John Ogole led 'operation Bonanza' had shattered the NRA. The UNLA Korean trained 'Crack Unit' based at Nakasongola was also making progress agins the NRA. However, within the UNLA, serious internal weaknesses remained a threat. The Chief of Staff, Gen David Oyite Ojok had died in a plane crash. It took long for a replacement because in the UNLA promotions and appointments were the work of the Defence Council and not a one man show as is the case with Museveni's NRA. Within the UNLA existed underground power squables betwen the Langis and Acholis- the two dominant tribes in the UNLA. The President and Commander in Chief was a Langi, the Chief of Defence forces Gen. Tito Okello was an Acholi while the former Chief of Staff Gen. Oyite Ojok had been a Langi. The Defence council tasked the CDF Gen. Tito Okello to submit to the Defence Council the names of the potential candidates for consideration. Tito Okello dragged his feet because of the Langi/Acholi issue. In terms of seniority, Bazilio Okello an Acholi was very senior but he was illiterate and due for retirement. The other candidate was Brig. Smith Opon Achak a Langi, educated and well trained. Tito Okello the CDF was in favour of Bazilio Okello. At one time he reported back to the Defence Council that the personal files of the two nominees had been locked up by the then Director of Records Col. Mwaka who had gone for medical treatment abroad. The Defence Council dirrected the CDF to despatch someone to go Mwaka and get the keys to these files. During the next meeting Tito Okello without giving reason reported that he had not secured the personal files. He vaguely tole members that "you can decide". The Defence council relied on previous minutes that merited Brig. Smith Achak as the favourite candidate and he was approved and appointed the new Chief of Staff. This development marked the start of animosity between Acholis and Langis.
Still within UNLA existed major internal contradictions. The key players within the Ministry of Defence and the UNLA scrambled for influence. The Minister of State for Defence Peter Otai and Col. William Omaria were recruiting axaulary forces into the UNLA commonly known at militias. The same was happening in Acholi. The half baked militias came to be refered to as NYA (Not Yet Approved) because they did not have army numbers. These young and half baked boys would also be introduced into the operations against the NRA in Luwero thus further aggravating the indiscipline of the UNLA.
During the same period the UNLA was set to undergo a major overhaul and reorganisation to give it a proffessional image. The exercise was set to see the retirement of the aged and uneducated majority of who were Acholis. Already, a Britisg training team (BMATT) had set camp at Jinja Garrisson. UK defence companies were the major suppliers of some logistics to the UNLA. FRANKLIN supplied quality uniforms to the UNLA and the culture of kickbacks as the case with Museven's NRA, was not prevallen then. Amidist all that, the NRA was reactivated by a huge consigment of arms from Libya's Gadafi and successfuly airdropped into its Luwero hideouts in Lukoola. It is there arms that breathed a new life into the NRA. With these arms a successful attack on UNLA in Masindi barracks added more arms to the NRA. Thanks to the job well done by retired Maj. Kaka Bagenda and his team who successfuly carried out an execellent reconnaisance of Masindi Barracks. Maj. Bagenda quit the NRA around early 1990 a disappointed man and lives a quiet life in the Islands.
The NRA fighters who had become battle hardened, and with these newly acquired arms coupled by the able command of military genus like Saleh, was able to inflict a heavy blow on the UNLA in Lukola. At the same time, the NRA was able to despatch part of its group to open bases in the Rwenzori mountain. The events that followed are what gave rise to the 1985 coup against the UPC goverment.
INFORMATION IS POWER.
Posted by Uganda - A Change of Guards! a
Viele GruBe
Robukui
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