{UAH} The military as an instrument of intimidation in Africa

Even the most powerful rooster in town fears a man army of uniform mostly Uganda and Africa at large.

Growing up in the rockies of Abim with its several interwoven rocky hills, it was extremely rare to see army vehicles in the then county mostly because Abimites take their near-inexistance in Uganda as blessings guaranteeing their peace in ever troubled Uganda.

Abimites are not affiliated to any ethnicity being Abim is bordered by four distinct tribes - if I may say. Teso, K'moja, Acholi, Lango all border Abim. You can't have trouble mapping Abim bcos of its concentration of inselbergs, hiding and protecting settlements form K'moja's harsh weather and giving Abim it's year round greenery.

In fact, whatever happened needs very serious anthropological research because the Thobur or Ethur of Abim in every word speak the same language as the Kumam but how the Kumam got to be where they are isn't known. 

The army vehicles we randomly saw often scared the poop out of natives. Once a helicopter appeared attacted to a sudden a ppearnce of a well manicured green field and made a landing around 10, 11 am. It was my primary school football field. Strange could explain how we felt before a huge kahuna of a man alighted.

He could have landed at the subcounty hq which also had a large compound but little did the passenger know on that day school was over for us. We realized even our teachers hadn't seen helicopters on the ground or come so close to one. 

The larger than life kahuna - size being a rarity in the county - was William Nabur who was Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the 70s. It was quite a sigh of relief seeing a K'jong treated to such a high profile ride.

He was on the ground for more than an hour since villager dropped their hoes and oxen to throng the football field as though Amin was campaigning for president.

Anyway, Abim isolation from restnof Uganda also protected the lives of its few native Abimites in the army. No one knew where Abwor, as it's known, was and no one where the language, a potpourri of its bordering ethnicities came from thus making Abim soljas in the army a negligible quantity. In all there were less than 10 Abimites in the Uganda Army - one, an army helicopter pilot.

Abim also helped many hide many Lango and Acholi soljas in the 70s largely bcos of difficulty navigating through the county. It's very easy to get lost and do a 360 in Abim bringing you in minutes back to where you started - again, bcos of its mountain passes. One such family was mine.

Anyway, back to army intimidation. The first shocker to an African in the West is knowing and seeng the police arrest soldiers and ticket them for violations. In Africa the police are seen and treated like chicken thieves and in some countries really serve no purpose. Indeed, in the 70s Uganda the police served no purpose except coloring ceremonies. It's reason Museveni favors UPDF heading the police instead of from within the police. Problem is, the police and army are parallel rail tracks. They share nothing in as far as governance and policies are concerned. While one is to maintain law and order, the other is for nothing but wars. Without wars the army also becomes a purposeless liability to taxpayers and unnecessary in a poor country like Kagutastan. These days Kagutastan exports the UPDF - which unfortunately isn't reported as national export earner and the country's top-most export after coffee - or even the number one export.

The US army had all the wherewithal to topple its government. All its retired Generals endorsed Harris. Those active and retired Generals who will be appointed by Trump to positions requiring presidential appointments will need a lot of convincing given Trump's relationship with the army is at best, unthere

All Generals he appointed in his first term ended up shoving flaming hotrods up his ass. Now he fears them and has no friends in the US army.

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