Uganda People's Army
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| Uganda People's Army | |
|---|---|
| Leaders | Peter Otai Hitler Eregu |
| Dates of operation | 1987 – 1992 |
| Ideology | Iteso interests |
The Uganda People's Army (UPA) was a rebel group recruited primarily from the Iteso people of Uganda that was active between 1987 and 1992. The UPA was composed mostly of former soldiers in the special forces of the Uganda National Liberation Army and opposed the National Resistance Army (NRA) government of Yoweri Museveni, who took power in January 1986. Reaching a height after the widespread cattle raid by Karamojong in 1987, the UPA rebellion eventually ended through the mediation of the Teso Commission.
In the 1970s, President Idi Amin Dada created Iteso Home Guard units specifically to protect the region from raids by Karamojong cattle rustlers. The Home Guards proved to be highly effective and, following Amin's overthrow, was retained as people's militia.[citation needed] In the 1980-1986 Bush War, Iteso militia occasionally fought the rebel National Resistance Army of Museveni alongside units of the regular Uganda National Liberation Army and the Special Force, the paramilitary arm of the Uganda Police Force.[citation needed] Following the fall of Kampala to the NRA in January 1986, defeated UNLA soldiers retreated in disarray to their northern home regions.
With this history, and the region's previous support for Milton Obote in mind, the Special District Administrator (SDA) in Soroti, Lt. Rwakatare-Amooti, ordered the disbanding of the people's militia.[citation needed] The decision was made to round up all former security personnel who had returned to their home villages and confiscate their weapons; a prohibition against moving livestock outside the subregion was enacted, but senior NRA officers flouted this prohibition, selling Teso livestock for a profit elsewhere.[citation needed]
The disbanding of the people's militias led to the creation of a power vacuum along the border with Karamoja, which Karamajong cattle raiders exploited to conduct raids into Teso territory.[citation needed] Despite the worsening security situation, the NRA remained focused on capturing potential security threats to its new authority. [citation needed] This in turn forced many former militia members, police officers, and soldiers to go into hiding, or hide their weapons so they could be used for protection against cattle raiders.[citation needed]