National Resistance Movement - Beginnings

Beginnings

The National Resistance Movement's history begins after the overthrow of Idi Amin by an alliance of Ugandan exiles and Tanzanian forces in 1979. The factions that formed the alliance of exiles included former military officers like Tito Okello from the previous government of Milton Obote which Idi Amin had overthrown in 1971. It also included a younger group of fighters including Yoweri Museveni of Front for National Salvation (FRONASA), Buganda nationalists of the Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM) and the federalist Federal Democratic Movement of Uganda (FEDEMU) forces. These forces came to power in Uganda under the banner of the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF). A political figurehead Yusufu Lule was appointed leader and president of Uganda but had very little political or military power.

Each faction quickly began an extensive recruitment campaign to strengthen their forces. The UFM particularly attracted a lot of support from Buganda, Uganda's largest ethnic group which aspired for an autonomous status in Uganda. The years of Idi Amin and northern dominance of the military had galvanised many southerners, particularly the Baganda into realising that they had to take up arms to achieve their political ambitions. The UFM played on this feeling.

The core UNLF led by Tito Okello recruited fighters mainly from the north of Uganda and enlisted them en masse into the new national army. Two northern tribes, the Langi (of Milton Obote) and the Acholi (of Tito Okello) had been extensively brutalised by the regime of Idi Amin (a northerner from West Nile sub-region) and saw this as a chance to consolidate their position in Uganda. Within a few months, the new army was dominated by officers and men from these two tribes.

In the capital city, Kampala, the UFM and FEDEMU forces established themselves and there were many clashes with the core UNLF. There was also the feeling within the UNLF that president Yusuf Lule (from Buganda) was in subtle alliance with these forces. The ruling body within the UNLF, the National Consultative Commission (NCC) which included members of other factions began clashing with the president and on June 20, 1979, the NCC forced Yusuf Lule out of office and replaced him with Godfrey Binaisa (another Muganda).

Demonstrations erupted in Kampala, and there was the suspicion that these were being fuelled by the UFM and FEDEMU forces. In response the UNLF government became more brutal. Gunfire erupted in the city to disperse the demonstrations, the UFM and FEDEMU were confronted and their leaders forced into exile. The role of Yoweri Museveni, whose faction remained loyal to the core UNLF, is unclear.

The random and speedy recruitment into the national army by the core UNLF created an army that lacked discipline or professionalism and was involved in random murder, robbery and atrocities. It was not unusual for people to be picked off the street and murdered wantonly. The situation was particularly bad in the south as most of the soldiers came from the north. A deep seated resentment grew in the south and particularly in Buganda, but any form of opposition was put down.

The NCC was dominated by a sub-committee called the Military Commission. The sub committee was chaired by Paulo Muwanga, a close associate of ex-president Milton Obote who was still in exile. Although not a military man himself, Muwanga was backed by the Army Chief of Staff Oyite Ojok, a veteran of the war against Idi Amin and from Obote's tribe - the Langi.

Muwanga was a controversial figure, because although from Buganda and with enormous power he seemed more comfortable with the northern dominated military junta. However, there were signs that even within the core UNLF, divisions were beginning to emerge. The Langi and Acholi recruitment campaign either by accident or intentionally had resulted in the Langi dominating key army officer positions while the Acholi made up the foot soldiers. To appease the Acholi, Tito Okello was made commander of the army, but real power lay in the hands of Oyite Ojok who increasingly became closer to Muwanga.

Paulo Muwanga and Oyite Ojok began to plot the return of Milton Obote to power. In response the president, Godfrey Binaisa announced that Oyite Ojok had been dismissed. Within days Godfrey Binaisa was overthrown and the Military Commission, which included Oyite Ojok, Tito Okello, Paulo Muwanga and Yoweri Museveni, assumed absolute power. Muwanga and Ojok began to speed up their plans to return Milton Obote to power by announcing an election date. Okello was less enthusiastic but being less articulate played a passive role. Yoweri Museveni however finally split from the Military Commission to form his own political party, the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM).

In 1980, Yoweri Museveni stood against Milton Obote's Uganda People's Congress (UPC) and the Democratic Party (Uganda) in the national elections. Museveni's UPM gained only one parliamentary seat in what was widely seen as an election rigged in favour of Obote's UPC. Museveni rejected the result and went to the bush to fight a guerrilla war.