Short History of Uganda
| Precolonial Era – Southern Uganda is dominated by Bantu tribal empires, the north by various Nilotic tribes. 1984 – Uganda becomes a British protectorate 1960 – Milton Obote forms the Uganda People’s Congress | ||
| 1962 – Uganda gains independence; Obote takes control of the government and becomes Prime Minister. 1971 – Ida Amin Dada, Ugandan Military Commander, launches a successful coup d’etat overthrowing Obote. Idi Amin lauches his reign of terror killing an estimated 300,000 people. 1979 – Idi Amin was overthrown by an alliance between Tanzania and the Ugandan Liberation Army, including Yower Museveni. Amin flees to Lybia | ||
| 1980 – Obote returns from exile to become President1981 – Museveni forms the national Resistance Army and begins a civil war claiming 100,000 lives. 1985 – Alice Auma of Opit village claims to be possessed by a spirit called Lakwena (“messenger”) and forms the quasi-Christian religious group the Holy Spirit. | ||
| 1985 – Obote is overthrown by his own generals Tito Okello becomes military ruler.1986 – Joseph Kony, a former witch doctor and cousin to Auma, becomes spiritual adviser to northern rebels, eventually forming his own militia. 1986 – Museveni’s army marches into Kampala to defeat Okello and take the presidency. Okello forces flee to the north, crossing over to Sudan. Museveni occupies northern Uganda. | ||
| 1986 – Alice Lakwena bolsters her army with fleeing soldiers and launches war against Museveni.1987 – Kony refuses to join Lakwena’s army under her command. Lakwena is defeated east of Kampala. 1988 – Kony’s army incorporates remnants of Lakwena’s forces. He becomes the sole rebel leader in the north. The Lord’s resistance army (LRA) is born. LRA begins it campaign of terror – abducting. | ||
| 1994 – Peace talks between Kony and the government fail. Kony finds support from the Sudanese government.2002 – Uganda launches Operation Iron Fist after Sudan allows Ugandan troops to cross into South Sudan. 2002-2004 – Kony Launches vicious counterattacks, and the war intensifies across the north. | ||
| 2005 – Kony and his top commanders are indicted by International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Kony retreats taking refuse in Garamba National Park.2006 – Peace talks begin in Juba, South Sudan. 2008 – Peace agreement reached between LRA and Ugandan government. Kony refuses to sign. |
