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Political Biography:

Milton Apollo Obote

(b. Akoroko, Uganda, 1925) Ugandan; Prime Minister 1962 – 6, President 1966 – 71, 1980 – 5 A member of the Langi ethnic group from northern Uganda, he graduated from Makerere University, and formed the Uganda People's Congress (UPC), which broadly represented northern interests, in 1958. He became Prime Minister of a coalition government at independence in 1962, and gradually imposed his control both over his own party and over his coalition partners, relying increasingly on the army commanded by Idi Amin. In 1966, he arrested five of his ministers, suspended the constitution, deposed the President, and transferred all executive powers to himself. He pursued a socialist economic policy, and nationalist major companies, attempting to present himself as a populist through a programme called "The Common Man's Charter". In January 1971, he was deposed while abroad in a coup led by Amin, and went into exile in Tanzania.

As an old friend of Tanzanian President Nyerere, he was the main beneficiary of Tanzania's invasion of Uganda to oust Amin in 1978 – 9. He returned in 1980 to participate in elections which were rigged in his favour, and became President again in December. His second term of office was even less successful than the first. The northerners who controlled the army were split between ethnic factions, while Museveni's NRA was making increasing progress in the south. Brutal depopulation measures were taken especially against the NRA, with deaths possibly exceeding even the 300,000 under the Amin regime. Obote was however eventually overthrown by his ethnic rivals in the army in July 1985, six months before they in turn were ousted by Museveni. He fled to Kenya and later Zambia, where he continued to run the UPC from exile. His responsibility for Uganda's collapse was second only to Amin's.

 
 
Biography: Apolo Milton Obote

Apolo Milton Obote (born 1925) was a Ugandan political leader who guided his country to independence in 1962. He worked to create a centralized government to replace the divided state left by the British, but his ruthless rule in the 1980s was marked by torture and repression and the killing of more than 100,000 civilians.

Milton Obote was born at Akokoro village in Lango territory in the northern part of the British Uganda Protectorate in 1925. He was the son of a poor local chief in the Lango tribe. He began his education in 1940 at the Lira Protestant Missionary School, continued it at Gulu Junior Secondary School and Busoga College, Mwiri, and finished it at Makerere College (1948-1950). Because the Buganda tribespeople who lived in southern Uganda dominated the economy, Obote went to Kenya to find work. He worked there first for an engineering firm and then for several industrial concerns. While in Kenya, he became interested in politics and was a founding member of the Kenya African Union.

Forging Independence

In 1956 Obote returned to Uganda. He entered politics when he was asked to return to the Lango district to replace a local Uganda National Congress party leader who had been imprisoned. In 1958, a sudden vacancy caused by the resignation of the Lango member of the Legislative Council led to Obote's appointment as a replacement. In Uganda's first direct elections later that year, Obote won the seat by a wide margin, and his rise in Ugandan politics was under way.

Obote soon became president of the Uganda National Congress party, one of many parties trying to forge a unity to bring Uganda independence. In 1960, Obote joined his organization to a rival party, thus founding the Uganda People's Congress; he became its president. When a 1961 conference provided for elections leading to independence, Obote allied his party to the Buganda party under Kabaka (King) Yekka in order to defeat Benedicto Kiwanuka's ruling Democratic party. The coalition gained a majority of the Ugandan votes, and Obote became Uganda's prime minister. He presided over British withdrawal in October 1962.

Failure to Unify Nation

But independence did not solve Uganda's problems. Buganda had been an ancient African kingdom, and British rule had left Buganda autonomous within the Uganda Protectorate. It was the most prosperous part of the country and home to Uganda's most educated elite. In accord with Uganda's constitution, agreed to by the British prior to independence, Obote appointed the ruler of Buganda to the largely ceremonial office of president of Uganda. But Bugandans were not willing to settle for less than a dominant place in the nation's politics, and Obote's alliance with Kabaka Yekka became increasingly unstable as friction grew between Buganda and the central government. The problem erupted into a crisis in 1966. Obote suspended the constitution, declared a state of emergency, and assumed full power. He introduced a new constitution, abolished Buganda and other kingdom-states within Uganda, and assaulted Kampala, the capital of Buganda under the leadership of General Idi Amin. The Bugandan king fled and died in exile in London.

In the late 1960s Obote tried to undermine the Bugandan economic power by moving the nation closer to socialism. In fact, he instituted authoritarian one-party rule but failed to unify the country. On Jan. 25, 1971, while Obote was out of the country on a diplomatic mission, Uganda's army under Amin ousted him from the presidency. Obote fled to Tanzania, and Amin for eight years instituted a bloody regime of terror and repression.

Second Regime of Terror

In 1979, an invasion aided by Tanzania overthrew Amin. After months of unsuccessful sectarian regimes, Obote won an election in 1980 which was widely believed to have been rigged. Obote's second regime continued Amin's terrorist tactics. Obote was opposed by the Bugandas, by the Acholi peoples of the north, and most importantly by a guerilla movement in the west, the National Resistance Army. Under Obote's direction, the Ugandan army tried to crush the guerillas by destroying entire villages and decimating the population. Amnesty International and other groups denounced Obote's police state and torture tactics, and he was charged with directing the killing of more than 100,000 civilians. In 1985, Obote was toppled in a coup and fled to Kenya. He was then granted political asylum in Zambia. His political career was over. Instead of being remembered as the leader of Uganda's independence movement, he left a legacy of totalitarianism and terror.

Further Reading

Obote's early career was chronicled in Ali Mazrui, Violence and Thought: Essays on Social Tensions in Africa (1968); A. J. Hughes, East Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania (1969). An earlier work on politics in Uganda was David E. Apter, The Political Kingdom in Uganda: A Study in Bureaucratic Nationalism (1961; rev. ed. 1967). A comprehensive history of Ugandan politics since independence and Obote's role is found in David Apter, "Democracy for Uganda: A Case for Comparison," in Daedalus (Summer 1995). Also see the A & E Biography website http://www.biography.com (August 13, 1997) for a brief profile.

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Apollo Milton Obote

Milton Obote.
(click to enlarge)
Milton Obote. (credit: Peter Kemp/AP)
(born Dec. 28, 1924, Akoroko village, Lango, Uganda — died Oct. 10, 2005, Johannesburg, S.Af.) First prime minister (1962 – 70) and president (1966 – 71, 1980 – 85) of Uganda. Elected to the Legislative Council in 1958, he led his country to independence in 1962. As prime minister, he accepted a constitution that granted federal status to five traditional kingdoms, including Buganda, but in 1966 he sent troops under Gen. Idi Amin to subdue Buganda's ruler, Mutesa II, and later abolished all the kingdoms. Obote was overthrown in a 1971 coup led by Amin, but, after Amin was deposed in 1979, Obote returned to Uganda and established a repressive government. He was again ousted in 1985 and eventually settled in Zambia.

For more information on Apollo Milton Obote, visit Britannica.com.

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Obote, Apollo Milton
(ōbō') , 1924–2005, president of Uganda (1966–71, 1980–85). Obote, a member of the legislative council of Uganda from 1957, founded (1960) the Uganda People's Congress. Prime minister from 1962 to 1966, he led a revolution, installing himself as president in 1966. Overthrown by Idi Amin in 1971, Obote fled to Tanzania. He returned with the Tanzanian-aided invasion (1979) and was reelected (1980) amid accusations of fraud. Factionalism led to an army coup in 1985 in which he was ousted a second time, and he again went into exile.
 
Wikipedia: Milton Obote
Apollo Milton Opeto Obote
Milton Obote

2nd Prime Minister of Uganda
1st Executive Prime Minister
In office
April 30, 1962 – April 15, 1966
Preceded by Benedicto Kiwanuka (non-executive)
Succeeded by None (post abolished)

2nd President of Uganda
1st Executive President
8th President of Uganda
In office
April 15, 1966 – January 25, 1971
December 17, 1980July 27, 1985
Preceded by Mutesa II of Buganda (non-executive) (1966)
Presidential Commission of Uganda (1980)
Succeeded by Idi Amin (1971)
Bazilio Olara-Okello (1985)

Born December 28 1924(1924--)
Apac district, Uganda
Died October 10 2005 (aged 80)
Johannesburg, South Africa
Political party Uganda People's Congress
Spouse Miria Obote

Apollo Milton Opeto Obote (December 28 1924October 10 2005), Prime Minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and President of Uganda from 1966 to 1971 and from 1980 to 1985, was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda to independence from the British colonial administration in 1962. He was overthrown by Idi Amin in 1971, but regained power in 1980. His second rule was marred by repression, and the deaths of many civilians as a result of a civil war known as the Ugandan Bush War.

Early life and first presidency

Milton Obote was born at Akokoro village in Apac district in northern Uganda. He was the son of a local chief of the Lango ethnic group. He began his education in 1940 at the Protestant Missionary School in Lira, and later attended Gulu Junior Secondary School, Busoga College and eventually university at Makerere University. At Makerere, Obote honed his natural oratorial skills, but was expelled for participating in a student strike (Obote claimed he left Makerere voluntarily[1]). He worked in Buganda in southern Uganda before moving to Kenya, where he worked as a construction worker at an engineering firm. While in Kenya, Obote became involved in the Kenyan independence movement. Upon returning to Uganda in 1956, he joined the political party Uganda National Congress (UNC), and was elected to the colonial Legislative Council in 1957.[2] In 1959, the UNC split into two factions, with one faction under the leadership of Obote merging with Uganda People's Union to form the Uganda People's Congress (UPC).

In the runup to independence elections Obote formed a coalition with the Buganda royalist party, Kabaka Yekka. The two parties controlled a Parliamentary majority and Obote became Prime Minister in 1962. He assumed the post on April 25, 1962, with Sir Walter Coutts as Governor-General of Uganda. The following year the position of a British Governor General was replaced by a ceremonial Presidency to be elected by Parliament. Mutesa, the Kabaka (King) of Buganda, became the ceremonial President, with Obote as executive Prime Minister.

As prime minister, Obote was implicated in a gold smuggling plot, together with Idi Amin, then deputy commander of the Ugandan armed forces. When the Parliament demanded an investigation of Obote and the ousting of Amin, he suspended the constitution and declared himself President in March 1966, allocating to himself almost unlimited power under state-of-emergency rulings; Several members of his cabinet, who were leaders of rival factions in the party, were arrested and detained without charge. In May the Buganda regional Parliament passed a resolution declaring Buganda's incorporation into Uganda to be de jure null and void after the suspension of the constitution. Obote responded with an armed attack upon Mutesa's palace, which ended with Mutesa fleeing into exile. In 1967 Obote cemented his power by getting Parliament to pass a new constitution which abolished the federal structure of the independence constition and created an executive Presidency.

In 1969 there was an attempt on Obote's life. In the aftermath of the attempt all opposition political parties were banned, leaving Obote as an effectively absolute ruler. The years of Obote's rule as President from 1966 to 1971 were on the whole quiet years in Uganda's history. A state of emergency was in force for much of the time and many political opponents were jailed without trial but life for ordinary citizens was quite uneventful. Economic growth was good for most of this time. In 1969-70 Obote published a series of pamphlets which were supposed to outline his political and economic policy. "The Common Man's Charter" was a summary of his approach to socialism. A proposal on new election procedures was supposed to end tribalism (allegiance to ancient nations which were incorporated into Uganda), this was interrupted by a coup and on Obote's return to power was not mentioned again. The government took over a 51% share in major private corporations and banks in the country in 1970.

Obote's regime after 1966 was openly dependent on control of the army. Idi Amin, who sided with Obote in 1966, was rewarded by promotion to Army commander, despite his near-illiteracy and the availability of trained officers. Starting in 1969 strains became visible between the two. In January 1971 Obote was overthrown by the army while on a visit to Singapore, and Amin became President. In the two years before the coup Obote's relations with the West had become strained. Published works on the coup have asserted that Western Governments were at least aware of, and may have aided, the coup. (See George Ivan Smith "Ghosts of Kampala" and Grace Ibingira "African Upheavals") Obote fled to Tanzania

Second term

In 1979, Idi Amin was ousted by Tanzanian forces aided by Ugandan exiles. By 1980, Uganda was governed by an interim Presidential Commission. At the time of the 1980 elections, the chairman of the commission was a close associate of Obote, Paulo Muwanga. Muwanga had briefly been the de facto President of Uganda from 12 May to 20 May in 1980. Muwanga was the third of three Presidents who served for short periods of time between Amin's ouster and the setting up of the Presidential Commission. The other two presidents were Yusuf Lule and Godfrey Binaisa.

The elections in 1980 were won by Obote's Uganda People's Congress (UPC) Party. However, the UPC Party's opposition believed that the elections were rigged and this led to a guerrilla rebellion led by Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army (NRA) and several other military groups.

It has been estimated that approximately 100,000 people died as a result of fighting between Obote's Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) and the guerrillas.[3]

On 27 July 1985, Obote was deposed again. As in 1971, he was overthrown by his own army commanders in a military coup d'état. This time the commanders were Brigadier Bazilio Olara-Okello and General Tito Okello. The two men briefly ruled the country through a Military Council. But, after a few months of near chaos, Museveni's NRA seized control of the country.

Death in exile

After his second removal from power, Obote fled to Tanzania and later to Zambia. For some years it was rumoured that he would return to Ugandan politics. In August 2005, however, he announced his intention to step down as leader of the UPC.[4] In September 2005, it was reported that Obote would return to Uganda before the end of 2005.[5]

Milton Obote's grave
Enlarge
Milton Obote's grave

On October 10, 2005, Obote died of kidney failure in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.[6]

Milton Obote was given a state funeral, attended by president Museveni in the Ugandan capital Kampala in October 2005, to the surprise and appreciation of many Ugandans, since he and Museveni were bitter rivals.[7] Other groups, such as the Baganda survivors of the "Luwero Triangle" massacres, were bitter that Obote was given a state funeral.[8]

He was survived by his wife and five children. On November 28, his wife Miria Obote was elected UPC party president.[9]

References

  1. ^ I come from royal ancestry, Published in The Monitor
  2. ^ "The Roots, Emergence, and Growth of the Uganda Peoples Congress, 1600-1985", Yoga Adhola, UPC Website
  3. ^ CIA Factbook - Uganda
  4. ^ "Uganda's exiled ex-president Obote to retire from party's presidency", Xinhua, August 28, 2005
  5. ^ "Uganda's exiled ex-president to return home before end of 2005", People's Daily Online, September 2, 2005
  6. ^ [hghttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4328834.stm "Former Ugandan leader Obote dies"], BBC, October 10, 2005
  7. ^ "Former foe mourns Uganda's Obote", BBC, October 20, 2005
  8. ^ "A founding father adored, dreaded in equal measure", The Monitor
  9. ^ "Walking in Obote’s shadow", Monitor, December 21, 2005

Further reading

  • 'The Rise and Fall of Grace Ibingira," by Andre de la Rue published in the New African: the radical review, imprint Cape Town, December 1966/207
  • Obote--a political biography,” by Kenneth Ingham, published by Routledge, London & New York, 1994.
  • "The Gold Allegations in Uganda," Mujaju, A.B. published by African Affairs, Volume 87 No. October, 1987.
  • "Myths and Realities -- A Letter to a London Friend," (dated 16 November 1968) by A.M. Obote; published by African Publishers Ltd. Kampala, Uganda
  • "British Intelligence and Covert Action: Africa, Middle East, and Europe since 1945," by Bloch, J. and Fitzgerald, P; published by Brandon, Dublin 1982.
  • "Party and Locality in Northern Uganda, 1945-1962," by Cherry Gertzel, published by Athelone Press, London,1974.
  • "Notes on Concealment of Genocide in Uganda," by A. M.Obote, Lusaka, Zambia published on UPC website.
  • "The Common Man's Charter," Entebbe by A.M. Obote published by The Government Printer, Entebbe, Uganda, 1969.
  • "Time to Declare," by David Owen published by Viking Penguin, New York; M. Joseph, London; 1991.
  • "General Amin," by David Martin published by Faber & Faber, London, 1974.
  • "The Desecration of My Kingdom," by Edward Mutesa published by Constable, London, 1967.
  • "How the West Established Idi Amin and Kept Him There," by Hutton, Pat & Bloch, Jonathan. in Ray, E. & others, "The CIA in Africa: Dirty Work 2,"New Jersey, Lyle Stuart Inc, 1979.
  • "Ghosts of Kampala," by George Ivan Smith; published by St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1980.
  • "The political development of Uganda: 1900-1986" by T.V. Sathyamurthy; published by Aldershot, Hants, England; Brookfield, Vt., USA: Gower, 1986.
  • "Ideology and politics in Uganda: from Obote to Amin," by James H. Mittelman; published by Cornell University Press, Ithaca, N.Y, 1975.
  • "Apolo Milton Obote and his times," by A.G.G. Gingyera-Pinycwa; published by NOK Publishers, New York, 1978.
  • "Thoughts of an African Leader, 'quotable quotes from the speeches of his Excellency, the President of Uganda, Dr Apolo Milton Obote (compiled by the Education Department of Uganda Argus) published by Longman (Uganda) Ltd. Kampala, 1970.
  • "Obote, second liberation," by Vijay Gupta, published by Vikas Publishing House, New Delhi, 1983.
  • "From Obote to Obote," by Akena Adoko; published by Vikas Publishing House, New Delhi, 1983.
  • "Gold Crisis in Uganda," by Akena Adoko; published by Vikas, New Delhi,1985.
  • "The Making of a President, Uganda Style," by Edward R.F. Sheehan, New York Times Magazine, January 22, 1967 pages 36-37.
  • "East Africa," volume 40 number 2 (1968)by William P. Lineburry; publisher: H.W. Wilson Company, New York.
  • "The political leadership of Obote in Uganda and Nyerere in Tanzania," (M.A. Dissertation/thesis, Utah State University, USA, 1971) by Hassam, Bahdurali Ahmed.
  • "Mazrui, A.A. "Leadership in Africa: Obote of Uganda," in International Journal, Volume One number 3 of June 1970.

External links


Preceded by
none
President of the Uganda People's Congress
1959–2005
Succeeded by
Miria Obote
Preceded by
Benedicto Kiwanuka
Prime Minister of Uganda
1962–1966
Succeeded by
Otema Allimadi
post abolished 1966–1980
Preceded by
Edward Mutesa
President of Uganda
1966–1971
Succeeded by
Idi Amin
Preceded by
Presidential Commission of Uganda
President of Uganda
1980–1985
Succeeded by
Bazilio Olara-Okello

 
 

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Political Biography. A Dictionary of Political Biography. Copyright © 1998, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
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Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Milton Obote" Read more

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