Archbishop Luwum stood up against Amin, got killed

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OPINION

Today in 1977, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Rev. Janani Luwum, was before officers of the Uganda Army accused of treason.

The next day, February 17, the world was shocked to learn he was dead.

Accompanied by bishops of the Church of Uganda, the archbishop was summoned to meet President Idi Amin. Some advised him not to go fearing that he could be killed.

Others thought the meeting would help iron out the growing misunderstanding between the church and the state. And also, heal the deteriorating relations between the president and the archbishop.

Luwum had taken it as a duty to speak out against excesses of the government, including killings and disappearance of the people. He and the church had grown into a bold opposition to Amin’s rule, which threatened his hold onto power.

Amin loathed any opposition. No one could dare stand up against him. Luwum did and he didn’t survive.

When Amin took power in a military coup in 1971, he promised the rule of law, elections and an immediate return to civilian rule. But he didn’t fulfill those pledges.

Instead, every year he lasted in power the level of tyranny grew and hopes of the army returning to the barracks diminished. Hundreds fled into exile while others were incarcerated and tortured. Some were killed.

Amin’s real problem was he could not rule. He lacked the capability of a leader and employed terror. This he probably thought would scare opponents and enable him to consolidate power.

Overwhelmed by the pressures of failure to manage the country, which included rising divisions in the army, which was his constituency, Amin was increasingly fearing he was losing power. The archbishop’s condemnation of the misrule and human rights abuses touched a raw nerve.

Amin’s regime was weakening. The economy was on its knees, which inhibited service delivery. He was aware of the plots to overthrow him that were going on in Tanzania, where previous government and army officials had taken refuge.

On July 4, 1976, Israeli commandos had not only humiliated him, but exposed the weakness in the army. They flew thousands of miles, raided Entebbe Airport, and rescued Jews held hostage by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine fighters.

This happened around the time when the Church of Uganda was planning to celebrate 100 years of existence.

As archbishop, Luwum took the lead in planning the celebration. To, Amin, he must have interpreted it as a rising opponent who must be stopped. Being an Acholi, complicated matters for Luwum. Because Acholi and Langi dominated the army in the 1960s and were believed to be allied with Milton Obote, the man he toppled, they became his enemies. Purges against them were routine. And when the archbishop spoke out against them, he might have not only sounded like an Acholi to Amin, but also a collaborator with those in exile planning to oust him.

Shortly before the Luwum was killed, a mutiny by Acholi and Langi in Mubende barracks had been crushed ruthlessly. After Luwum’s death shooting was reported in Kampala. It was believed to be a coup attempt and again members of the two tribes were accused.

Interestingly, Amin invited the foreign press and denied the archbishop and two ministers had been killed. He had never addressed journalists to dismiss reports of human rights abuses, but he did about the archbishop’s death; maintaining the government position, Luwum and his co-accused grabbed the steering wheel of the car in which they were being transported to detention and got killed in a crash. However, the driver survived.

The three had left the conference centre where they had been accused and ‘sentenced’ to death. It was a meeting, but in effect a quasi-court to try the archbishop and two cabinet ministers.

Vice-President Mustafa Adrisi raised accusations of treason and subversion against them as the bishops looked on in fear. Not only was the archbishop on trial, but the Church of Uganda. His residence on Namirembe Hill had been searched and weapons allegedly found.

Also, there were purported confessions by Abdulla Anyuru and Leji Olobo who claimed to have been part of the Luwum’s plot to topple the government, which sealed the archbishop’s fate.

Adrisi asked the soldiers in the room what punishment the three deserved and they responded by chanting “kill them, kill them”.

The next day February 17, news broke that the archbishop and two ministers- had died in the car accident near Fairway Hotel. That soldiers would openly without proper judicial hearing chant the killing of the three and the next day it was announced they had died confirms the recommendation to kill them had been implemented. It also follows that the trio facing accusations without the right to be heard shows the absence of legal recourse at the time.

Speaking out against the government, especially President Amin was an instant death sentence. Criticism was never tolerated, even when constructive and fair.

Archbishop Luwum knew the consequences, but given the torture, gruesome killing and rampant disappearances of the people he gave up his life to end the madness.

His killing resulted in global mobilisation to fight against Amin. And he created the opportunity when he invaded Tanzania in October 1978. The Tanzania People’s Defence Force responded to repulse his forces out of Uganda and backed Ugandans in exile, toppling Amin in April 1977.

As he and two ministers were led away to be killed, Luwum turned to the bishops and said, “Do not be afraid. I see God’s hand in this.”

X: @dmukholi1