UGANDA

COMPENDIUM OF CONFLICTS IN UGANDA
as ‘ariang’, or ‘violent institution’. 62 This term is still in use and resonates throughout
the country, in that many participants described the relationship between the state and
citizens as inherently problematic.
Participants in Kitgum considered militarisation a direct legacy of colonialism and
commented that the army was introduced as a personal asset to guard the interests
of the ruling regime instead of those of citizens and the nation. After Independence,
Uganda enjoyed a period of civilian governance, but not for long. The Kabaka Crisis 63
was identified around the country as a turning point in history. In Mukono, participants
marked this as the first time when the army openly departed from its objective of
protecting citizens, and instead attacked them. In Adjumani, it was said that the Crisis
introduced the dynamic of using military means to resolve political conflicts. In Kitgum,
a participant commented on the Kabaka Crisis;
62 In Acholi, the use of brute force for political interest became termed ‘komdan’ or ‘munomuno’ (referring
to the white man’s use of force – muno means “white person”)
63 For more information, see conflict number 10 in this Compendium.
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