Uganda: <b>October 25, 1999</b>

October 25, 1999

The Ugandan National Rescue Front (i.e., the rebels) has been forced to relocate its training bases out of Democratic Congo (ex-Zaire) because of heavy pressure from Ugandan Army units operating there. New bases have been set up near Juba in southern Sudan.--Stephen V Cole

October 19; Two people were killed when anti-government rebels ambushed a bus in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Ugandan government believes the rebels are part of the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU) and possibly members of the Islamist Tabliqs sect. Earlier, Ugandan government sources said the commander of Ugandan military operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had been recalled to Kampala.

October 17; Western press sources said the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni had started backtracking on his pledge to return Uganda to multi-party politics by 2007. Apparently Museveni has no timetable, but rather will reintroduce multiparty politics when it is "safe" to do so. At the moment Museveni runs a "no party" system. Museveni has blamed the fractious political parties for Uganda's internal conflicts. Most of the parties divide along tribal and regional lines. While Museveni's National Resistance Movement is the closest thing Uganda has to a national, multi-tribal organization, it is also controlled by one man -- President Museveni.

October 14; Uganda and Rwanda told warring rebel factions inside the Democratic Republic of Congo that the factional fighting must stop.

October 11; The Ugandan government freed 147 ex-rebels. The former rebels were members of the Uganda National Resistance Front II (UNRF-2). Most of the rebels come from the West Nile region in northwestern Uganda. In 1997 UNRF-2 separated from the West Nile Bank Front (WNBF). The WNBF was originally commanded by a former senior Ugandan Army officer loyal to Idi Amin. The Ugandan government appears to believe it has defeated the WNBF separatist movement. In 1997 the Ugandan Army and allies in the Sudan People's Liberation Army launched several operations against the WNBF.

October 11; Tribal fighting continues in Uganda. Warriors of the Mathenniko tribe attacked several Bokora villages in August, killing 140 people. Bokora warriors retaliated on 11 Sept, killing 400 members of the Mathenniko tribe.--Stephen V Cole

October 10; Uganda and Rwanda continued their efforts to rebuild relations after the August "microwar" fought by their respective forces in the Congo. Uganda is sending a delegation to Rwanda to discuss how to restore trust between the two nations.