KAMPALA.
President Museveni has promised to extend financial support to families of rebel leaders who fought in previous wars in Uganda .
Mr Museveni met the family members at State House , Entebbe on Friday ,and posted on X (formerly Twitter ) saying “I met families of fallen fighters who participated in various wars in the struggle for the liberation of Uganda,” he said
Among those Mr Museveni met include the family of the late Brig. Eric Odwar. This was a Commander in the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) .
UNLA was a political outfit formed by exiled Ugandans opposed to the rule of military dictator Idi Amin. Brig. Odwar died in the battle of Corner Kilak in 1987. “At that time, he had joined Alice Lakwena, but he was already in contact with the National Resistance Army(NRA) to make peace,” Mr Museveni said .
Another family Mr Museveni met is that of the late Hitler Eregu who joined a rebel group called Uganda People’s Army (UPA) which fought against the NRA in Teso sub region . He died during the war. The firth family was that of late Onyango Odongo who worked at the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretariat. Odongo died a natural death.
“ I also met Serapio Ochan and his sons. Mr. Serapio Ochan was a Uganda Commercial Bank Branch Manager, in Hoima, in June 1984, when NRA attacked Hoima. Mr Ochan’s money helped us in purchasing food and other supplies during the struggle.
I thank them for their resilience and reiterate our commitment to supporting their welfare by providing resource and business opportunities to empower them ,” Mr Museveni pledged
Uganda’s history is marked by numerous armed struggles, including the Ugandan Bush War (1980-1986) and the ongoing conflict with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
The Ugandan Bush War involved the National Resistance Army (NRA) challenging the Ugandan government and its armed wing, the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA). The LRA, led by Joseph Kony, has been a persistent threat in northern Uganda since 1987, causing displacement and human rights violations ,but the current suppressed the LRA in 2006 and it is no longer active within the Ugandan territorial boundaries .