Uganda People's Democratic Army

Last updated
Uganda People's Democratic Army
Leaders Odong Latek
Dates of operationMarch 1986 – June 1988
Ideology Acholi interests
Battles and wars War in Uganda (1986–1994)
Preceded by
UNLA

The Uganda People's Democratic Army (UPDA) was a rebel group operating in northern Uganda from March 1986 to June 1988. [1]

Contents

In January 1986, the government of Ugandan President Tito Okello was overthrown by the rebel National Resistance Army (NRA) under the command of Yoweri Museveni, which took the capital city of Kampala. By March 1986, NRA forces had occupied the traditional land of the Acholi people in northern Uganda, from which President Okello came. In the same month, former Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) soldiers, which was the military of Uganda from 1980 to 1986, had sought sanctuary in southern Sudan formed the rebel Uganda People's Democratic Army (UPDA) with the goal to force the NRA out of northern Uganda and reinstate the former government. [2]

By late 1986, the UPDA had proved unable to retake towns it initially had captured and hold on to captured territory. Though it controlled much of the countryside, that did not mitigate or prevent the group's impending defeat. Many UPDA rebels deserted, and smaller units splintered into semi-banditry groups. Many ethnic Acholis refused to accept the logical conclusion that resistance was futile and began to support the Holy Spirit Movement of Alice Auma, which promised a millenarian vision of earthly paradise or similar chiliastic groups that had sprung up, including the Uganda People's Democratic Christian Army led by Joseph Kony that would later become the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). [3]

After a year of increasingly desperate operations, including fierce battles among the various Acholi rebel groups for resources, the UPDA signed an accord with the NRA-led government on 3 June 1988 that called for an end to the conflict and a democratic government. The negotiations were exceptional in that they were carried out by military officers of the UPDA and the NRA. The political wing of the UPDA and the National Resistance Movement were excluded from the talks. While the UPDA founder Odong Latek refused to accept the accord and joined the LRA, most of his officers realized that their military situation was hopeless and, by early 1989, the UPDA had ceased to exist.

Structure

At the time of its foundation, the UPDA was organized into two divisions, split into several brigades. [4] Though the group included many ex-UNLA veterans who had considerable combat experience, the UPDA units were usually much weaker than their respective names suggested. [5] The known units included:

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References

  1. ↑ "Uganda: Information on a rebel group called the Uganda People (People's) Democratic Army (UPDA) and its activities during the period 1988 to 1990, and on the extent of its human rights violations". Refworld. February 1, 1996. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Uganda People's Democratic Army (UPDA)". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  3. ↑ "Causes and consequences of the war in Acholiland (2002) | Conciliation Resources". www.c-r.org. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Lamwaka 2016, p. 60.
  5. ↑ Cooper & Fontanellaz 2015, pp. 54–55.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Cooper & Fontanellaz 2015, p. 55.
  7. ↑ Lamwaka 2016, p. 71.

Works cited


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