{UAH} FOCUS ON MUSEVENI’S MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE WITH ‘NORTHERNERS’

Written by CHANGE OF GUARDS

During exile in Tanzania in the 1970s, Museveni opportunistically opted to break away from the main exile group under the then deposed President Milton Obote that was fighting the Iddi Amin regime.  Museveni moved to form a parallel briefcase organisation dubbed FRONASA that was comprised of Bantu and, in particular people, from his western region.  He claimed to be countering the dominance of the Nilotics and, in particular, the Langi, Acholi and Iteso who dominated Obote's Kikosi Malum.  After the exiled armed dissidents crossed the border into Uganda, he embarked on a marathon recruitment drive of westerners to boost his FRONASA.  As Minister of Defence after the fall of Iddi Amin, Museveni doubled his recruitment campaign to counter the northerners in the UNLA.

For his Bush War (1981 – 1986), elements of his FRONASA formed the top cream.  During that sectarian guerrilla war, government forces (the UNLA) would be collectively  referred to as Abacholi by the NRA.  There was no single Acholi within the NRA rank and file.  Even a one Toyem who had been taken captive and conscripted had to defect back to government.  Museveni's NRA registered the first Acholi in its ranks around June 1985 when the UNLA's 31st Battalion. based in Fort Portal, joined hands with the NRA in a deal that was negotiated by the Catholic Church and DP in Tooro.  In Kampala, the Acholi protested against the Langi by overthrowing the Obote and UPC government.  The dissident groups from West Nile region that had been battling the UNLA joined hands with it against Museveni's NRA.  Within the NRA, the name of the government soldiers changed from Acholi to Abanyanya as a collective name for all the non-Bantu government soldiers.

He used the late 1985 Nairobi Peace Talks to humiliate the Banyanya and when he took over in January 1986, they were simply massacred.  As if that was not enough, his NRA carried that vengeance to the northern region targeting both former soldiers and ordinary Acholi.  The atrocities by his NRA fueled the Acholi to resort to self defense that gave rise to the  20 years northern Uganda insurgency.  His retrenchment of public servants and privatisation of state enterprises was aimed at eliminating the northerners.  His brutal counter insurgency campaign in the Northern and North-Eastern Uganda was designed to subdue the northerners into submission.  In return, they referred to him and his NRA as  Banyarwanda and politically openly expressed their dislike for his regime.

The independence of South Sudan came in handy to help end the northern Uganda insurgency after the LRA lost its strategic bases.  Coupled by some few opportunistic Acholi, who sought economic and political favors from Museveni, the rebellion was flushed out.  By allying with UPC Lango, he was rewarding the Langi who had been acting as a buffer zone for the LRA insurgency.  This development enticed the Acholi fence-sitters and soon individuals started seeking favors.  With breakdown of social and economic infrastructure, northerners became his source of manpower for his military machinery.  As of now, the northerners compose the highest percentage of his ordinary foot soldiers in the UPDF and its auxiliary forces (LDUs) save for his SFC which is exclusively a Kiruhura, Kazo, Ntungamo and Kashari affair.  To dupe Northerners further, he at one time even picked an Acholi bodyguard.

Worry not of the ethnic relationship of South Sudanese with the northerners, Museveni has a grand scheme of the former not ever stabilizing politically.  He has gone ahead to dupe the northerners with the appointment of top party and government officials.  The Chief Justice, the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Deputy Secretary General of NRM, the Commander of the Reserve Force, the police Chief, the Deputy Police Chief, the Director General ISO, the Director General ESO, the Director CID, the DPP, the Commander of the Land Forces, the Executive Director Media Centre, the Chairman of the NRM Electoral Commission etc.  Just as was the case with UPC Lango, Nobert Mao is in the process of handing over to Museveni whatever remains of DP.  It is highly anticipated that the impending new cabinet lineup will give a fair share to the northerners in return for their recent 'wise' voting for Museveni.  With his brother, Gen. Saleh having strategically become an in-law of Acholi and is setting up another home in northern Uganda, by the time northerners wake up their land will be no more.

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Rehema
Patriot in Kampala,East Africa:Assalamu Alaikum

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