POLITICS AND THE MILITARY IN UGANDA, 1890-1985 Politics and the Military in Uganda, 1890-1985 Amii Omara-Otunnu Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 978-1-349-18738-6 ISBN 978-1-349-18736-2 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-18736-2 ©Amii Omara-Otunnu, 1987 Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover 1st edition 1987 978-0-333-41980-9 A11 rights reserved. For information, write: Scho1arly & Reference Division, St. Martin's Press, lnc., 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010 First published in the United States of America in 1987 Phototypeset by Sty1eset Limited, Warminster, Wiltshire,. Great Britain ISBN 978-0-312-00046-2 Library of Congress Cata1oging-in-Publication Data Omara-Otunnu, Amii, 1952- Politics and the military in Uganda, 1890-1985 Bibliography: p. lncludes index. 1. Uganda-Politics and government. 2. Uganda Armed Forces-politica1 activity. 3. Civi1-military re1ations-Uganda-History. 1. Title. DT433.26.053 1987 322'.5'096761 86-20262 ISBN 978-0-312-00046-2 For Larib Lapyem May future generations learn from past mistakes Contents ~~~~ ~ ~~~~ X Acknowledgements xi List ofA bbreviations xiii Map: Uganda, Showing International, Regional and District Boundaries xiv Calendar of Important Events in Uganda's Military History xv 1 Introduction 1 2 The Role of the Military in the Establishment of Colonial Rule in Uganda (1890-1900) 12 3 The Expanding Horizon of the Military (1900-1962) 28 4 From Obedience to Mutiny (1962-64) 48 5 The Impact of the Mutiny and the Struggle for Political Supremacy (1964-66) 65 6 Consolidation of Cleavages and Polarisation in the Army (1967-70) 78 7 Amin's Coup: The Military Takes Over (1971) 92 8 1971: Amin's Policy and Tactics for Survival 102 9 Amin's Change of Course (1972) 113 10 Amin's Manipulation of the Military (1973-77) 123 11 The Disintegration of Amin's Regime (1977-79) 138 12 The Post-Military Regimes and the Return to Civilian Rule (1979-80) 145 13 Uganda's Second Coup: The Reassertion of Military Muscle (1985) 157 vii viii Contents 14 Conclusions 170 Epilogue (1986) 175 Appendix A The Eighteen Points Given to Justify Amin's Coup 182 Appendix B Uganda Production of Major Crops (197D-82) 185 Appendix C The Nairobi Peace Accord (1985) 186 Bibliography 204 Index 210 viii List of Tables 2.1 Distribution of Sudanese troops in the Uganda Protectorate in 1896 21 2.2 Casualities in the Sudanese mutiny, 1897-8 23 3.1 African troops and British officers serving in the KAR in the First World War 34 4.1 1964 pay rises for soldiers in the Uganda Army 61 6.1 Breakdown of military police by region of origin, 1969 80 6.2 Breakdown of Uganda Army officers by region of origin, August 1966 80 6.3 Breakdown of Uganda Army by language cluster, 1968 and 1969 87 10.1 Breakdown of officers in the Uganda Armed Forces by language cluster, 1977 134 10.2 Breakdown of one month's recruits according to language, 1978 134 12.1 Breakdown of UNLA recruits according to language, November 1979 150 ix List of Figures 6.la Breakdown of African population by region, 1969 82 6.lb Breakdown of Uganda Army by region, April 1969 82 6.2a Breakdown of Uganda Army officers by language, 1966 84 6.2b Breakdown by language of officers discharged from Uganda Army, 1963-9 84 6.3a Breakdown of Uganda Army officers by region, 1966 85 6.3b Breakdown by region of Uganda Army officers and officer cadets discharged, 1963-9 85 8.1 Army strength variation, recruitment and losses, 1971 107 X Acknowledgements In writing this book I have been assisted both directly and indirectly by a great many people. First, I am deeply grateful to Dr John Beattie for his guidance as both teacher and friend in the critical stages of writing. I greatly value his intellectual advice and his human kindness. I also appreciate the advice offered to me by Professor Kirkwood. St Antony's College has provided me with a congenial academic base in Oxford. Throughout the period of my research the librarians of Rhodes House and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies in Oxford have given me willing and efficient assistance in obtaining the necessary secondary materials; Gill Short in particular has gone out of her way to help me. I am also grateful to the staff at the London Public Record Office at Kew, and in the library of the Uganda Mission to the United Nations in New York. During my seven-month research trip in Uganda, I was fortunate to be able to fraternise with many soldiers. Their ready acceptance of me was heart-warming and fired in me an even stronger interest in the military. Their anecdotes and reminiscences gave me an insight into many aspects of the Uganda Army which I could never have obtained from books and official records alone. Without disclosing their names I would like to record my gratitude to them. But my research was only made possible with the co-operation of General Tito Okello, Lieutenant-General Bajilio Olara Okello and Colonel John Mwaka. Their long experience of the Army under various regimes was most valuable to me. Further thanks go to all the staff of the Uganda National Liberation Army Records Office. The librarian at Makerere University was also most helpful. I am grateful to Professor Kate Auspitz, my former tutor, whose continued support has both helped and encouraged me, and to Wade Goria for spurring me on. My heartfelt gratitude goes to my partner, Elizabeth Omara-Otunnu, who has shared every stage of the book's progress and acted as my keenest critic. But the study has its roots beyond Oxford, and I could never have embarked on this work without the support and encouragement of my family. The support of my brother, Olara A Otunnu, in many varied ways, has been indispensable. My mother's warm love and xi