Museveni recounts 1979 liberation war

By John Kakande and Felix Osike PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday recounted the 1979 liberation war that culminated in the overthrow of Idi Amin’s dictatorship.Museveni said he was in Mbarara town when Kampala city fell to the liberation forces.He said as Kampala was falling, he was going to General Musuguri’s command post at Kabwoko, Masaka for a meeting. Musuguri from Tanzania was the overall commander of the war. Museveni said he learnt of Kampala’s capture from a BBC radio news report quoting a broadcast on Radio Uganda by Oyite Ojok. He said he had to travel via Bukanga, Kyaka and Mutukula to Kabwoko because the Mbarara-Lyantonde-Masaka road was unsafe.He said on April 12, 1979 he and Musuguri went to Entebbe and spent a night in the State House.Museveni was speaking at celebrations to mark the 23rd anniversary of the overthrow of Idi Amin by Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) and Ugandan guerrillas. The celebrations were attended by eight Tanzanian generals, veterans of the 1979 war, and presidents Daniel arap Moi of Kenya and Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania. Museveni praised the role played by the late President Julius Nyerere, Mozambique and Zambia in Amin’s overthrow. He said Nyerere, Musuguri, Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi and President Moi of Kenya assisted in the anti-Obote war.Museveni said Moi assigned some marine officers at Kisumu to assist him. He said he travelled across Lake Victoria three times and that was how he came to know that there are 220 miles across the lake.He said Amin was a remnant of the colonial state and its brutality. He said Amin’s overthrow marked the beginning of the end of the remnants of the colonial state.Museveni praised Nyerere for the principled stand he took against Amin. He noted that Nyerere refused to recognise Amin’s regime in spite of pressure within Tanzania and outside. He said Nyerere refused to accept that sovereignty should be used to “cover up criminality”.He said it was Nyerere who gave ‘Entandikwa’ to Uganda’s freedom fighters. When Amin invaded Tanzania in 1978, Nyerere said, “This is the opportunity we have been waiting for,” Museveni narrated.He also hailed Ugandans who contributed to the 1979 war efforts. He singled out Ateker Ejalu, Chris Mudoola, Col. William Omaria, Eriya Kategaya, Col. Kahinda Otafiire and Amama Mbabazi who was head of the FRONASA internal wing. He said the West welcomed Amin because they wanted to isolate Nyerere who was a strong supporter of the liberation movements in southern Africa. He said Amin killed 500,000 people.“The list is long. All of them were killed in cold blood and intentionally.” He said Milton Obote’s regime killed 300,000 people “through criminal political violence.” ‘demonic regime’ in