UGANDA

CENTRAL CONFLICTS
include these claims. The strength of the group’s armed wing was very limited. Today,
its political wing operates from London and other parts of Europe. The UFDA remains
active in Uganda despite the absence of an operational military campaign on the ground.
BUGANDA
The Bush War
The Bush War remains one of the darkest episodes in Uganda’s history of
conflict. Led by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, several armed insurgent groups
joined the National Resistance Army (NRA) and fought the Governments
of Milton Obote (1981-1985) and Tito Okello (1985-1986). The end of the
Bush War marked the beginning of the National Resistance Movement
(NRM) regime led by President Museveni, which remains in power today.
118. The National Resistance Army/Movement Bush War (1981 – 1986)
The National Resistance Army/Movement (NRA/M) was founded in 1981upon the
merger of Yusuf Lule’s Uganda Freedom Fighters (UFF) and the Popular Resistance Army
(PRA) of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,
a former Minister of Defence and
former Presidential candidate who
represented the Uganda Patriotic
Movement (UPM) party during the
1980 election.
Prior to the 1980 elections, candidate
Museveni of the newly formed UPM
had stated that if the elections were
rigged he would go to the bush to
launch a rebellion. Arguing that the
Obote II Government had indeed
rigged the 1980 national elections, 480
Museveni made good on this promise
and the NRM/A waged a war of
resistance from 1981 to 1986. 481 The
armed struggle was launched on 6
February 1981, when NRA rebel forces,
led by Yoweri Museveni, first attacked
Kabamba Military Barrack in Mubende
district. They in turn proceeded to the
Luwero district where they set up their
base, concentrating their operations
480 Omach, P. (2009) Democratisation and conflict resolution in Uganda. Les Cahiers D’Afrique de L’Est, 41.
pp. 1-20
481 Baker, B. (2004) Popular justice and policing from bush war to democracy: Uganda 1981-2004. International
Journal of the Sociology of Law 32 pp. 333
223