{UAH} ACHOLIS WANTED OBOTE FOR TRIAL BUT THEY NEVER NEEDED IDDI AMIN FOR TRIAL.

New Uganda Rulers Want Obote For Trial

July 31, 1985|By United Press International.

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KAMPALA, UGANDA — Uganda`s new military ruler Tuesday named a nine-man governing council that called for deposed President Milton Obote to stand trial and warned former dictator Idi Amin to stay away.

Lt. Gen. Tito Okello, new ruler of the East African nation, named a guerrilla leader to the nine-man council in a bid to attract support for the junta. But the rebels rejected the government and vowed to continue the war.

The capital city of about 500,000 has almost completely run out of food and water since Saturday, when the coup ousted Obote, Western diplomats said.

Diplomats also disclosed plans to evacuate women and children dependents of United Nations and some Western embassy staffs. The plan calls for a road convoy under UN auspices to move from Kampala to the border with Kenya, 150 miles to the east, within the next 48 hours.

In Washington, a State Department official said evacuation of

``nonessential`` American personnel was under study. Of the 200 Americans in Uganda, about 60 are U.S. government employees. Officials say all have been accounted for.

The U.S. also has put development aid to Uganda on hold, officials said.

Okello, 71, who was commander of the army under Obote and played a key role in the coup, flew to neighboring Tanzania to plead with President Julius Nyerere to support his new regime, diplomats in Dar es Salaam said.

Before departing, Okello announced he would be chairman of the Military Council composed of five army colonels, a brigadier, a civilian lawyer and Salem Saleh, commander of the National Resistance Army (NRA) near Kampala.

A high-ranking NRA spokesman in Nairobi immediately rejected the new government and said they would continue their war. The NRA, a 5,000-man guerrilla force that fought the Obote government for four years, now controls the western third of Uganda.

``It was a question of getting hold of a name and putting it on a list,`` the guerrilla spokesman explained. ``Neither he (Saleh) nor the NRA were consulted. He will not accept the appointment.``

The Military Council called for the return of Obote to stand trial ``for crimes against the people of Uganda,`` Radio Uganda said.

Obote, 61, fled to Kenya during the military coup sparked by tribal differences.

Okello also warned Amin, who is now living in exile in Saudi Arabia, not to interfere with the new Ugandan government and to ``stay where you are.``

Amin overthrew Obote`s first government and ruled Uganda from 1971-79, during which time as many as 300,000 Ugandans were killed. Amin said Saturday he supported the coup.

                 Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in anarchy"
                    Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni katika machafuko"