Uganda National Liberation Front Explained

Uganda National Liberation Front
Leaders:Milton Obote
Yoweri Museveni
Akena p'Ojok
John Barigye
Active:1979
Clans:Kikosi Maalum
FRONASA
SUM
UNO
Headquarters:Moshi, Tanzania
Allies:
Kenya
Zambia
Opponents: Idi Amin's regime
Fatah
War:Uganda–Tanzania War
Partof:Uganda National Liberation Army
Ideology:Anti-Idi Amin

The Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) was a political group formed by exiled Ugandans opposed to the rule of military dictator Idi Amin. The UNLF had an accompanying military wing, the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA). UNLA fought alongside Tanzanian forces in the Uganda–Tanzania War that led to the overthrow of Amin's regime. The group ruled Uganda from the overthrow of Amin in April 1979 until the disputed national elections in December 1980.

Creation

The UNLF was formed as an outcome of a meeting of Ugandan exiles from 24 to 26 March 1979 in the northern Tanzanian town of Moshi. In the meeting, known as the Moshi Conference, 28 groups were represented. The most important groups that united to form UNLA included Kikosi Maalum led by Milton Obote (with Tito Okello and David Oyite Ojok as commanders); FRONASA led by Yoweri Museveni; and the Save Uganda Movement.

Unit Leader(s) Base(s)
Obote's faction (Uganda People's Congress, Kikosi Maalum)Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, United Kingdom
Tanzania
Tanzania, Uganda
Uganda Liberation Group (Z) Immanuel Oteng
Milton Obote (de facto)
Zambia
Uganda National Movement Zambia
Uganda Human Right Group George Kanyeihamba United Kingdom
Uganda Action Group Paulo Muwanga United Kingdom
Popular Front for the Liberation of Uganda John Odongkara United States
Uganda Freedom Union Godfrey Binaisa (?) United States
Relief Educational Training Uganda Refugees Now (RETURN) Festo Kivengere United States
Uganda National Unity and Reconciliation Eric Otema Alimadi Tanzania
Uganda Society Yusuf Lule, Martin Aliker Kenya
Uganda Discussion Group Tarsis Kabwegyere (?) Kenya
Kenya
Uganda Liberation Movement Dani Wadada Nabudere (?) Kenya
Nairobi Consultative Committee Tarsis Kabwegyere, D.W. Nabudere Kenya
Negotiating Committee for Democratic Unity Dani Wadada Nabudere (?) Tanzania
Moshi Discussion Group ? Tanzania
Ad Hoc Committee for Promotion of Unity Yash Tandon, Mahmood Mamdani (?) Tanzania
Muthaiga Discussion Group Aliker (?) Kenya

Governance

The UNLF was governed by an 11-member Executive Council originally chaired by Yusuf Lule who was the Uganda President at that time, with the vice-chairman being Akena P' Ojok, who was Uganda's then vice president. The UNLF was accompanied by a National Consultative Council (NCC) with one member for each of the 28 groups represented at the meeting. Its military arm, UNLA, fought side by side with the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) in the Uganda-Tanzania War and invaded Uganda, taking Kampala in April 1979 and sending Amin to exile. There were other party members of UNLF across the country and in the regions formed to coordinate the activities of UNLF.

Overthrowing of Idi Amin

Following the overthrow of Amin on 11 April 1979, a new UNLF government was formed under Yusuf Lule with the UNLA becoming the new national army. The leadership of the UNLF was unstable, with infighting leading to the ousting of Lule in June 1979. His replacement, Godfrey Binaisa, ruled for less than twelve months before being placed under house arrest in May 1980 following an effective coup by Paulo Muwanga. A Presidential Commission was installed with elections planned for December 1980. The exiles who formed the UNLF needed to put aside their political differences to do so. They were only united by one thing: an opposition to Amin. For this reason, the UNLF did not contest the elections with its members supporting various parties.

Following a widely disputed victory for the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) led by former president Milton Obote, many of the UNLF founding members would go on to fight against the now UPC-controlled UNLA. The UNLA was defeated on January 25, 1986 by the guerrillas of the National Resistance Army (NRA) led by Yoweri Museveni, a former member of the UNLF executive council and a minister in the UNLF government. There was a tribal conflict between the Acholi and Langi, that led to the coup d'état making Tito Okello Lutwa president of the republic.

References

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