Uganda
Africans of three main ethnic groups--Bantu, Nilotic, and
Nilo-Hamitic--constitute most of the population. The Bantu are the
most numerous and include the Baganda, which, with 18% of the
population, constitute the largest single ethnic group. Individual
ethnic groups in the southwest include the Banyankole and Bahima,
10%; the Bakiga, 8%; the Banyarwanda, 6%; the Bunyoro, 3%; and the
Batoro, 3%. Residents of the north, largely Nilotic, include the
Langi, 6%, and the Acholi, 4%. In the northwest are the Lugbara, 4%,
and the Karamojong, 2%, occupy the considerably drier, largely
pastoral territory in the northeast. The Basoga, 8% and the Bagisu,
5% are among ethnic groups in the East. Europeans, Asians, and Arabs
make up about 1% of the population with other groups accounting for
the remainder.
Uganda's population is predominately rural, and its population
density highest in the southern regions. Until 1972, Asians
constituted the largest nonindigenous ethnic group in Uganda. In
that year, the Idi Amin regime expelled 50,000 Asians, who had been
engaged in trade, industry, and various professions. In the years
since Amin's overthrow in 1979, Asians have slowly returned and now
number around 30,000. Other nonindigenous people in Uganda include
Arabs, Western missionaries, non-governmental organization (NGO)
workers, diplomats, and business people. |
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When Arab traders moved inland from their enclaves along the Indian
Ocean coast of East Africa and reached the interior of Uganda in the
1830s, they found several African kingdoms with well-developed
political institutions dating back several centuries. These traders
were followed in the 1860s by British explorers searching for the
source of the Nile River. Protestant missionaries entered the
country in 1877, followed by Catholic missionaries in 1879.
In 1888, control of the emerging British "sphere of interest" in
East Africa was assigned by royal charter to the Imperial British
East Africa Company, an arrangement strengthened in 1890 by an
Anglo-German agreement confirming British dominance over Kenya and
Uganda. In 1894, the Kingdom of Buganda was placed under a formal
British protectorate.
Britain granted internal self-government to Uganda in 1961, with the
first elections held on March 1, 1961. Benedicto Kiwanuka of the
Democratic Party became the first Chief Minister. Uganda maintained
its Commonwealth membership. A second round of elections in April
1962 elected members to a new National Assembly. Milton Obote,
leader of the majority coalition in the National Assembly, became
prime minister and led Uganda to formal independence on October 9,
1962.
In succeeding years, supporters of a centralized state vied with
those in favor of a loose federation and a strong role for
tribally-based local kingdoms. Political maneuvering climaxed in
February 1966, when Prime Minister Milton Obote suspended the
constitution, assumed all government powers, and removed the
ceremonial president and vice president. In September 1967, a new
constitution proclaimed Uganda a republic, gave the president even
greater powers, and abolished the traditional kingdoms. On January
25, 1971, Obote's government was ousted in a military coup led by
armed forces commander Idi Amin Dada. Amin declared himself
president, dissolved the parliament, and amended the constitution to
give himself absolute power.
Idi Amin's 8-year rule produced economic decline, social
disintegration, and massive human rights violations. The Acholi and
Langi ethnic groups were particular objects of Amin's political
persecution because they had supported Obote and made up a large
part of the army. In 1978, the International Commission of Jurists
estimated that more than 100,000 Ugandans had been murdered during
Amin's reign of terror; some authorities place the figure much
higher.
In October 1978, Tanzanian armed forces repulsed an incursion of
Amin's troops into Tanzanian territory. The Tanzanian force, backed
by Ugandan exiles, waged a war of liberation against Amin's troops
and Libyan soldiers sent to help him. On April 11, 1979, Kampala was
captured, and Amin fled with his remaining forces.
After Amin's removal, the Uganda National Liberation Front formed an
interim government with Yusuf Lule as president. This government
adopted a ministerial system of administration and created a
quasi-parliamentary organ known as the National Consultative
Commission (NCC). The NCC and the Lule cabinet reflected widely
differing political views. In June 1979, following a dispute over
the extent of presidential powers, the NCC replaced Lule with
Godfrey Binaisa. In a continuing dispute over the powers of the
interim presidency, Binaisa was removed in May 1980. Thereafter,
Uganda was ruled by a military commission chaired by Paulo Muwanga.
December 1980 elections returned the UPC to power under the
leadership of President Obote, with Muwanga serving as vice
president. Under Obote, the security forces had one of the world's
worst human rights records. In their efforts to stamp out an
insurgency led by Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army (NRA),
they laid waste to a substantial section of the country, especially
in the Luwero area north of Kampala.
Obote ruled until July 27, 1985, when an army brigade, composed
mostly of ethnic Acholi troops and commanded by Lt. Gen. Basilio
Olara-Okello, took Kampala and proclaimed a military government.
Obote fled to exile in Zambia. The new regime, headed by former
defense force commander Gen. Tito Okello (no relation to Lt. Gen.
Olara-Okello), opened negotiations with Museveni's insurgent forces
and pledged to improve respect for human rights, end tribal rivalry,
and conduct free and fair elections. In the meantime, massive human
rights violations continued as the Okello government murdered
civilians and ravaged the countryside in order to destroy the NRA's
support.
Negotiations between the Okello government and the NRA were
conducted in Nairobi in the fall of 1985, with Kenyan President
Daniel Moi seeking a cease-fire and a coalition government in
Uganda. Although agreeing in late 1985 to a cease-fire, the NRA
continued fighting, seized Kampala in late January 1986, and assumed
control of the country, forcing Okello to flee north into Sudan.
Museveni's forces organized a government with Museveni as president
and dominated by the political grouping called the National
Resistance Movement (NRM or the "Movement").
A referendum was held in March 2000 on whether Uganda should retain
the Movement system, with limited operation of political parties, or
adopt multi-party politics. Although 70% of voters endorsed
retention of the Movement system, the referendum was widely
criticized for low voter turnout and unfair restrictions on Movement
opponents. Museveni was reelected to a second five-year term in
March 2001. Parliamentary elections were held in June 2001, and more
than 50% of contested seats were won by newcomers. Movement
supporters nevertheless remained in firm control of the legislative
branch. Observers believed that the 2001 presidential and
parliamentary elections generally reflected the will of the
electorate; however, both were marred by serious irregularities,
particularly in the period leading up to the elections, such as
restrictions on political party activities, incidents of violence,
voter intimidation, and fraud.
A Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) issued a report proposing
comprehensive constitutional change in December 2003. The
government, however, took issue with many CRC recommendations and
made counter-proposals in September 2004. A July 2005 national
referendum resulted in the adoption of a multiparty system of
government and the subsequent inclusion of opposition parties in
elections and government.
In February 2006, the country held its first multiparty general
elections since President Museveni came to power in 1986. The
election generally reflected the will of the people, although
serious irregularities occurred. Ruling NRM candidate President
Museveni was declared the winner with 59.26% of the vote, giving him
a third term in office following the passage of a controversial
amendment in June 2005 to eliminate presidential term limits.
Opposition FDC leader Kizza Besigye captured 37.39% of the vote,
while the remaining contestants received less than 2% of the vote
each, according to official figures from the Electoral Commission. |
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