Origin
In the 1970s, President Idi Amin Dada created Iteso Home Guard units specifically to protect the region from raids by Karamojong cattle rustlers. The Home Guards proved to be highly effective and, following Amin's overthrow, was retained as people's militia." In the 1980-1986 Bush War Iteso militia on occasion fought the rebel National Resistance Army of Yoweri Museveni alongside units of the regular Uganda National Liberation Army and the Special Force, the paramilitary arm of the Uganda Police Force. Following the fall of Kampala to the NRA in January 1986, defeated UNLA soldiers retreated in disarray to their northern home regions.
With this history, and the region's previous support for Milton Obote, in mind, Special District Administrator (SDA) in Soroti, Lt. Rwakatare-Amooti ordered the disbanding of the people's militia. Obalell Omoding lists this as the first mistake of the SDA, the others being: the decision to round up all security force personnel who had returned to their home villages and confiscate their weapons; a prohibition against moving livestock outside of the sub-region; and the apparent ability of senior NRA officers to flout this prohibition to make a profit by selling Teso livestock elsewhere.
The exact origin of the rebel movement is unclear. What appears clear is that the disbanding of the people's militia, as well as the Special Force, created a security vacuum along the border with Karamoja, which Karamajong cattle raiders exploited to conduct raids into Teso. Despite the worsening security situation, the NRA remained focused on capturing potential security threats to its new authority. This in turn forced many former militia members, police officers and soldiers to go into hiding, or hide their weapons so they could be used for protection against cattle raiders.
Read more about this topic: Uganda People's Army
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