Discover an exotic landUganda


History of Uganda

The earliest human inhabitants incaptured, and Amin fled with his
contemporary Uganda wereremaining forces.
hunter-gatherers. Remants of theseUganda since 1979
people are today to be found among theAfter Amin's removal, the Uganda
pygmies in western Uganda. BetweenNational Liberation Front formed an
approximately 2000 to 1500 years ago,interim government with Yusuf Lule as
Bantu speaking populations from centralpresident. This government adopted a
and western Africa migrated and occupiedministerial system of administration and
most of the southern parts of thecreated a quasi-parliamentary organ
country. The migrants brought with themknown as the National Consultative
agriculture, ironworking skills and newCommission (NCC). The NCC and the Lule
ideas of social and politicalcabinet reflected widely differing
organization, that by the fifteenth orpolitical views. In June 1979, following
sixteenth resulted in the development ofa dispute over the extent of
centralized kingdoms, including thepresidential powers, the NCC replaced
kingdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro-Kitara andLule with Godfrey Binaisa. In a
Ankole.continuing dispute over the powers of
Nilotic people, including Luo and Atekerthe interim presidency, Binaisa was
entered the area from the north probablyremoved in May 1980. Thereafter, Uganda
beginning about AD 100. They were cattlewas ruled by a military commission
herders and subsistence farmers whochaired by Paulo Muwanga. The December
settled mainly the northern and eastern1980 elections returned the UPC to power
parts of the country. Some Luo invadedunder the leadership of President Milton
the area of Bunyoro and assimilated withObote, with Muwanga serving as vice
the Bantu there, establishing thepresident. Under Obote, the security
Babiito dynasty of the current Omukamaforces had one of the world's worst
(ruler) of Bunyoro-Kitara. Luo migrationhuman rights records. In their efforts
proceeded until the 16th century, withto stamp out an insurgency led by Yoweri
some Luo settling amid Bantu people inMuseveni's National Resistance Army
Eastern Uganda, and proceeding to the(NRA), they laid waste to a substantial
western shores of Lake Victoria in Kenyasection of the country, especially in
and Tanzania. The Ateker (Karimojong andthe Luwero area north of Kampala.
Teso peoples) settled in theObote ruled until July 27, 1985, when an
north-eastern and eastern parts of thearmy brigade, composed mostly of ethnic
country, and some fused with the Luo inAcholi troops and commanded by Lt. Gen.
the area north of lake Kyoga.Bazilio Olara-Okello, took Kampala and
When Arab traders moved inland fromproclaimed a military government. Obote
their enclaves along the Indian Oceanfled to exile in Zambia. The new regime,
coast of East Africa and reached theheaded by former defense force commander
interior of Uganda in the 1830s, theyGen. Tito Okello (no relation to Lt.
found several kingdoms withGen. Olara-Okello), opened negotiations
well-developed political institutions.with Museveni's insurgent forces and
These traders were followed in the 1860spledged to improve respect for human
by British explorers searching for therights, end tribal rivalry, and conduct
source of the Nile River. Protestantfree and fair elections. In the
missionaries entered the country inmeantime, massive human rights
1877, followed by Catholic missionariesviolations continued as the Okello
in 1879.government carried out a brutal
Colonial Ugandacounterinsurgency in an attempt to
In 1888, control of the emerging Britishdestroy the NRA's support.
"sphere of interest" in East Africa wasNegotiations between the Okello
assigned by royal charter to thegovernment and the NRA were conducted in
Imperial British East Africa Company, anNairobi in the fall of 1985, with Kenyan
arrangement strengthened in 1890 by anPresident Daniel arap Moi seeking a
Anglo-German agreement confirmingcease-fire and a coalition government in
British dominance over Kenya and Uganda.Uganda. Although agreeing in late 1985
The high cost of occupying the territoryto a cease-fire, the NRA continued
caused the company to withdraw in 1893,fighting, and seized Kampala and the
and its administrative functions werecountry in late January 1986, forcing
taken over by a British commissioner. InOkello's forces to flee north into
1894, the Kingdom of Buganda was placedSudan. Museveni's forces organized a
under a formal British protectorate.government with Museveni as president.
Early independent UgandaSince assuming power, the government
Britain granted internal self-governmentdominated by the political grouping
to Uganda in 1961, with the firstcreated by Museveni and his followers,
elections held on March 1, 1961.the National Resistance Movement (NRM or
Benedicto Kiwanuka of the Democraticthe "Movement"), has largely put an end
Party became the first Chief Minister.to the human rights abuses of earlier
Uganda maintained its Commonwealthgovernments, initiated substantial
membership.political liberalization and general
In succeeding years, supporters of apress freedom, and instituted broad
centralized state vied with those ineconomic reforms after consultation with
favor of a loose federation and a strongthe International Monetary Fund (IMF),
role for tribally-based local kingdoms.World Bank, and donor governments.
Political maneuvering climaxed inIn northern areas such as Acholiland,
February 1966, when Prime Ministerthere has been armed resistance against
Milton Obote suspended the constitution,the government since 1986. Acholi based
assumed all government powers, andrebel groups include the Uganda People's
removed the president and viceDemocratic Army and the Holy Spirit
president. In September 1967, a newMovement. Currently, the only remaining
constitution proclaimed Uganda arebel group is the Lord's Resistance
republic, gave the president evenArmy headed by Joseph Kony, which has
greater powers, and abolished thecarried out widespread abduction of
traditional kingdoms.children to serve as soldiers or sex
Uganda under Aminslaves.
On January 25, 1971, Obote's governmentIn 1996, Uganda was a key supporter of
was ousted in a military coup led bythe overthrow of Zairean President
armed forces commander Idi Amin Dada.Mobutu Sese Seko in the First Congo War
Amin declared himself president,in favor of rebel leader
dissolved the parliament, and amendedLaurent-Désiré Kabila. Between 1998
the constitution to give himselfand 2003, the Ugandan army was involved
absolute power.in the Second Congo War in the renamed
Idi Amin's eight-year rule producedDemocratic Republic of the Congo and the
economic decline, social disintegration,government continues to support rebel
and massive human rights violations. Thegroups such as the Movement for the
Acholi and Langi ethnic groups wereLiberation of Congo and some factions of
particular objects of Amin's politicalthe Rally for Congolese Democracy.
persecution because they had supportedIn August 2005, Parliament voted to
Obote and made up a large part of thechange the constitution to lift
army. In 1978, the Internationalpresidential term limits, allowing
Commission of Jurists estimated thatMuseveni to run for a third term if he
more than 100,000 Ugandans had beenwishes to do so. In a referendum in
murdered during Amin's reign of terror;July, 2005, 92.5% supported restoring
some authorities place the figure muchmultiparty politics, thereby scrapping
higher.the no-party or "movement" system. Kizza
In October 1978, Tanzanian armed forcesBesigye, Museveni's political rival,
repulsed an incursion of Amin's troopsreturned from exile in October 2005, and
into Tanzanian territory. The Tanzanianwas a presidential candidate for the
army, backed by Ugandan exiles waged a2006 elections. In the same month,
war of liberation against Amin's troopsMilton Obote died in South Africa.
and the Libyan soldiers sent to helpMuseveni won the February 2006
him. On April 11, 1979, Kampala waspresidential election.



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