Masuumi Juma: Who are the Four NRA Survivors of Montepuez FRELIMO Guerrilla Fighters and Their Contributions?

H.E President Museveni’s Group of 28 trained in Montepuez for FRELIMO has only four survivors. FRELIMO is Portuguese pronunciation: [fɾɛˈlimu]; from Portuguese: Frente de Libertação de Moçambique, meaning ‘Liberation Front of Mozambique’) -held territory in Portuguese-controlled Mozambique where they received guerrilla training.

The four Survivors include;

RO/0001 Gen. (Rtd) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (Commander-in-Chief)
He is the President of the Republic of Uganda and Commander-in-Chief, a position he has held since the guerrilla movement he founded, took power on January 26, 1986. Gen. Museveni retired from active military service in 2003, famously announcing he was ditching the uniform (military fatigue) for the business suit to become a civilian President.

Museveni started efforts to build an army in the early 1970s, getting basic training in the jungles of Mozambique under FRELIMO while still a student at the University of Dar-es-Salam. He recruited most of the people who made the initial ranks of the FRONASA (The Front for National Salvation) force which was later transformed into the National Resistance Army (NRA) and its political wing, the National Resistance Movement.

President Museveni was born on September 15, 1944, to Mzee Amos Kaguta and Esteri Kokundeka Nganzi in Rukungirl, British Protectorate of Uganda (now Uganda).

At an early age, Gen. Museveni moved to Ntungamo and attended Kyamate Elementary School, Mbarara High School, and Ntare School. After high school, Museveni attended the University of Dar-es-Salaam beginning in 1967. While attending the University, Museveni studied economics and Political Science.

In 1973, 29-year-old Museveni formed the Front for National Salvation, a Ugandan rebel group. Five years later in October 1978, the Ugandan-Tanzania War began after Ugandan troops invaded the Kagera Salient in northern Tanzania.

The nations at war were led by Ugandan President Idi Amin and Tanzania President Julius Nyerere, with Museveni supporting Nyerere because he opposed Amin’s dictatorship. Tanzania won the conflict and deposed Idi Amin from power.

In 1981, a civil war called the Ugandan Bush War pitted former Ugandan President Milton Obote and the National Resistance Army (NRA) led by Museveni. This five-year conflict lasted from 1981 to 1986 and resulted in an NRA victory and Museveni becoming the new President of Uganda. Despite his Presidency, guerrilla wars continued until 1994 as various factions attempted to overthrow his government.

In 1996, the first Presidential elections under Museveni’s government were held. He defeated candidates Paul Ssemogerere and Kibirige Mayanja. During that same year, Museveni led Uganda to intervene in the Second Congo War where he assisted Rwanda and Laurent-Desire-Kabila of the Alliance of Democratic Forces of the Liberation of the Congo (ADFLC) in an attempt to overthrow longtime dictator President Mobutu Sese-Soko.

Museveni led Uganda’s involvement in the Third Congo War in 1998 when he allied with Rwanda against Laurent-Desire-Kabila Kabila’s new government that only two years earlier, he helped install in power. Since then, Gen. Museveni’s achievements to Ugandans, East Africa and Africa put a lot on paper.

RO/00016 Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho a.k.a Salim Saleh (Retired)
Gen Saleh is the young brother of President Museveni and is hailed as one of the most fearless bush war commanders.

He retired from the military and briefly served as an army MP, a minister and a Presidential advisor on military affairs. He is now heading an initiative to fight poverty among war veterans and former soldiers and Ugandans.

Gen. Saleh was born on 14 January 1960. In 1976, aged 16, he left Kako Secondary School in Masaka to join the Front for National Salvation (FRONASA), a Tanzania-based rebel group formed and led by his brother Yoweri Museveni to fight against the regime of Idi Amin. Together with his friend Fred Rwigyema and his brother Museveni, he trained in Mozambique with Samora Machel’s FRELIMO guerrilla fighters.

In 1978, FRONASA merged with other anti-Amin groups in Tanzania and formed the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA), which together with Tanzanian armed forces captured Kampala in April 1979 – sending Idi Amin into exile. Gen. Saleh was later made a platoon commander of a UNLA unit in Moroto District. Following the bitterly contested December 1980 elections, Museveni declared an armed rebellion against the UNLA and the government of Milton Obote.

Gen. Salim Saleh joined his brother’s National Resistance Army (NRA) and the guerrilla war known as “the Bush War”, that would last until 1986.

In January 1986, Salim Saleh commanded NRA’s assault on Kampala, which eventually led to the demise of Tito Okello’s regime, with Museveni becoming President. NRA became the national army, with Salim Saleh as a commanding officer, the late Gen. Elly Tumwine as the Army Commander, and President Museveni as the Commander-in-chief.

Saleh proceeded to command an army division against rebel groups that were remnants of the UNLA, including the Uganda People’s Democratic Army (UPDA), in northern parts of the country. He was instrumental in working out a peace deal with the UPDA.

Saleh succeeded Elly Tumwine as Army Commander in 1987 and held the post until 1989 when, following accusations of corruption, he was sacked from the army by his brother. He later became the senior presidential advisor on defence and security (1996–1998), and the commander of the army’s Reserve Force (1990–2001), involved in resettling army veterans of the bush war.

Gen. Saleh recalled RPF leaders to Uganda, over the death of the leader of the RPF Fred Rwigyema, He arrested Peter Bayingana who had taken de facto command of the RPF, and Chris Bunyenyezi. Both were executed.

RO/00018 Gen. Ivan Koreta (Retired)
Gen. Koreta was born in Mbarara, Ankole sub-region, on 15 October 1955 in a Pentecostal family of the Banyankole.

He had his primary education at Nyamitanga Muslim Primary School, in his home town of Mbarara and attained his PLE certification in 1969. He then attended Kiira College Butiki for his O-Level education, attaining an East African Certificate of Education in 1973. He then transferred to Old Kampala Secondary School, for his A-Level schooling, graduating there with the East African Advanced Certificate of Education in 1975.

While still in his teens, Koreta attended FRELIMO military training in Mozambique as a member of the Front for National Salvation, a guerrilla group led by Yoweri Museveni.

He participated in the war that removed Idi Amin from power in 1979. When Museveni formed the National Resistance Army (NRA) in 1981, Koreta joined him. During the Ugandan Bush War, he became a battalion commander in the NRA. During the April 1986 battle to capture the Ugandan capital city Kampala, his 13th NRA Battalion was responsible for guarding the Kampala–Gulu highway at Matugga.

Since the NRA captured power and was subsequently transformed into the UPDF, Koreta has served in various roles, including the following:

• Commander of the First Division: 1986-1988 (at the rank of Brigadier General)
• Deputy Director of the Internal Security Organization: 1988-2001
• Promoted to the rank of Major General: in 2001
• Promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and appointed commandant of the Uganda Senior Command and Staff College at Kimaka, being the first military officer to serve in that capacity: in 2004
• Appointed deputy commander of defence forces in Uganda: 2005
• Appointed chairman of the General Court Martial: 2006
• Appointed head of the Ugandan delegation on the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) team for South Sudan: 2015.

RO/00__ Brig. Gen. Bosco Omure (Retired)

He was born on 01 July 1956. Joined the struggle in 1976 and attended the FRELIMO military training in Mozambique as a member of the Front for National Salvation (FRONASA), a guerrilla group led by Yoweri Museveni. He participated in the war that removed Idi Amin from power in 1979 and trained at Montepuezi Training School – Mozambique. He was commissioned on 17 Mar 2005. He went on to serve in different capacities including Operation Wealth Creation where he has benefited his home district with a demonstration centre for fruit seedlings that have been established on plantation farming in particular Jackfruit. His outstanding initiative, leadership and other abilities have improved supplies.

The Author is an NRM Cadre, Media and Political Analyst

Tel: 0756523763 Email: masuumi93@gmail.com