UGANDA

COMPENDIUM OF CONFLICTS IN UGANDA
within the army (the UNLA) and civilian circles. 172 In addition to his unpopularity in
Parliament and the Buganda region, discontent within the army was most detrimental. 173
Accused of tribalism and poor management of the ongoing Bush War, Acholi officers
withdrew their support. 174 This rift can be traced to the death of Langi General Oyite
Ojok in a 1983 helicopter accident. With the Chief of Staff dead, a replacement needed
to be selected and Obote eventually appointed a Langi, Major Opon-Acak, instead of
the higher-ranking Basilio Okello (an Acholi). 175 This demonstration of tribalism mirrored
Obote’s increasing reliance on the Langi-dominated Special Force Units within the
military structure. 176
Aside from these internal divisions, Obote faced external pressure from the ongoing Bush
War against the NRA and other insurgent groups such as the Uganda National Rescue
Front (UNRF I), the Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM), and the Federal Democratic
Movement (FEDEMU). 177
Obote’s order for the arrest of Brigadier Basilio Okello, an Acholi, triggered a military
coup organised by another leading Acholi General, Tito Okello Lutwa. 178 This coup, during
which Kampala was seized on 27 July 1985, although it was referred to by some as a
peaceful ‘Palace Coup’, 179,180 nonetheless resulted in loss of life and property, according
to participants. 181 Obote sought refuge in Zambia. 182
The new military government, led by General Tito Okello Lutwa as head of a Military
Council, soon initiated peace talks with the NRA in Nairobi. Some participants from the
north referred to these as the ‘Nairobi Peace Jokes’. 183 These talks eventually fell apart
and Museveni’s rebels ousted Okello from power in January 1986.
Participants’ perceptions of the legacy of the Okello coup varied. Those in Arua positively
acknowledged that Okello allowed West Nilers to return from exile in Zaire (now DRC)
and Sudan. However, those in Pader noted that this event led to a rift in the military
between the Langi and Acholi that persists to the present day.
172 Research conducted in Soroti District
173 Research conducted in Adjumani District
174 Research conducted in Pader, Mbarara, Adjumani and Mukono Districts
175 Research conducted in Pader District; Tindigarukayo, J. (1988) Uganda, 1979-85: Leadership in transition.
The Journal of Modern African Studies 26(4) p. 607-22.
176 Federal Research Division, Library of Congress (1990) The Second Obote Regime: 1981-85. Library
of Congress Country Studies [Internet], Available from:
[Accessed 27 May 2014]
177 Research conducted in Adjumani and Mukono Districts
178 Research conducted in Hoima and Nakasongola Districts
179 Research conducted in Kitgum District
180 Phares, M. (1992) Uganda since independence, a story of unfulfilled hopes. Kampala, Fountain Publishers
Ltd
181 Research conducted in Tororo District
182 Federal Research Division, Library of Congress (1990) The Second Obote Regime: 1981-85. Library
of Congress Country Studies [Internet], Available from:
[Accessed 27 May 2014]
183 Research conducted in Gulu District
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