Uganda-Tanzania War
Uganda-Tanzania War (usually referred to in
Uganda as
the Liberation War) was fought between Uganda and
Tanzania in 1978-1979, and led to the overthrow of
Idi Amin's regime.
In 1978, some units of the Uganda's armed forces mutinied, following dissatisfaction with president Idi Amin. Some of the mutineers fled across the Tanzanian border joining the
National Liberation Front (UNLF), which had been formed by other exiled Ugandans to fight Idi Amin's army. In October 1978, Amin sent troops against the mutineers. Amin accused Tanzanian President
Julius Nyerere of waging war against Uganda, then invaded Tanzanian territory and formally annexed a section of the
Kagera Region across the boundary on November 1, 1978.
Nyerere mobilized the
Tanzania People's Defence Force and counterattacked. In a few weeks, the Tanzanian army was expanded from less than 40 000 troops to over 100 000, including members of the
police,
prison services,
national service and the
militia. The Tanzanians were joined by several anti-Amin groups consisting of Ugandan exiles, who had united as the
Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA).
The Ugandan Army retreated steadily.
Libya's
Muammar al-Gaddafi sent 3,000 troops to aid Amin, but the Libyans soon found themselves on the front line, while behind them Ugandan Army units were using supply trucks to carry their newly plundered wealth in the opposite direction. Tanzanian and UNLA forces met little resistance, and invaded Uganda, taking
Kampala in April 1979. Amin fled, first to Libya and later to Saudi Arabia. The Tanzanian army remained in Uganda to maintain peace while the UNLF (the political wing of the UNLA) organized elections to return the country to civilian rule.
The period following the ousting of Amin proved to be a time of intense competition and fighting for power among different groups made up of political and ethnic rivals.
Yusuf Lule had been installed as president by Tanzania. In June 1979, following a dispute over the extent of presidential powers, the National Consultative Commission, which was then the supreme governing body of the UNLF, replaced Lule with
Godfrey Binaisa. Binaisa was himself removed on 12 May 1980 by the Military Commission, a powerful organ of the UNLF headed by the
Paulo Muwanga, and whose deputy was
Yoweri Museveni (then leader of
Uganda Patriotic Movement). The country was then led by the
Presidential Commission of Uganda with among others
Paulo Muwanga,
Yoweri Museveni,
Oyite Ojok and
Tito Okello. The Presidential Commission ruled Uganda until the December 1980 general elections which were won by
Milton Obote's
Uganda Peoples Congress.
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Tanzania Civil-military Relations and Political Stability* -
Uganda
