David Oyite-Ojok
Encyclopedia
David Oyite Ojok was a Ugandan military commander who held one of the leadership positions in the coalition between Uganda National Liberation Army and Tanzania People's Defence Force
which removed strongman
Idi Amin
in 1979 and, until his death in a helicopter crash, served as the national army chief of staff with the rank of major general
.
’s first government. When Idi Amin overthrew Obote in 1971, Oyite Ojok was amongst the military personnel who fled to neighbouring Tanzania
and, eight years later, in the wake of Amin's 1979 invasion of the country, assumed a key role in the grouping of military exiles who, with the backing of Tanzanian troops, led the counteroffensive which resulted in the overthrow of Amin.
, Paulo Muwanga
and Tito Okello
, of the Military Commission, a powerful sub-committee of the Uganda National Liberation Front
(UNLF) which ruled the country after Idi Amin’s overthrow. He was fiercely independent, but remained loyal to Obote who was preparing to return from exile.
The alliance of political forces in the UNLF under President Yusuf Lule
soon began to unravel. Of significant importance was the emergence of tribal rivalry. On the one side were those from the North who made up the bulk of the new national army, and on the other those from the South (particularly those from the Buganda
tribe) who for the first time since 1964 had significant political and military influence.
Oyite Ojok, as the new chief of staff, ensured that the national army under his command was overwhelmingly made up of Northerners, such as himself. The political symbol for most of those from Northern Uganda was the Uganda Peoples Congress party and Obote, who was still in Tanzanian exile. Obote's possible return was opposed by many within the UNLF, particularly those from Buganda who recalled that it was Obote who had dethroned their King (the Kabaka
) and forced him into exile in 1966. It is widely believed that it was this opposition to Obote’s return and the growing influence of the northern dominated army that led to the removal of Yusuf Lule from the Presidency after only 2 months in office. Lule had also tried to extend his very limited presidential powers in the UNLF.
Lule was replaced by another Muganda, Godfrey Binaisa
who was seen as more of a figurehead. Real power now lay with Oyite Ojok and the Military Commission. The UNLF became more militaristic in appearance as army officers like Ojok became actively involved in politics, and the quasi-legislative National Commission and government ministers became less significant. On the ground the army became more brutal, particularly in Buganda and other areas of Southern Uganda. Most significantly, the Uganda Peoples Congress with its military allies began to actively organise and call for the return of Obote.
In May 1980, Oyite Ojok gained greater power when "figurehead president" Binaisa dismissed him as army chief in an attempt to reduce the power of the Military Commission. In response the Military Commission removed Binaisa from office and declared the country would be ruled by a Presidential Commission which included Muwanga, Museveni, Oyite Ojok and Okello. Although as Chairman, Muwanga presented the face of the Commission, real power was held by Oyite Ojok.
As Army Chief of Staff, Oyite Ojok was responsible for attempting to defeat the guerrilla armies of Museveni's National Resistance Movement
(NRA) and Andrew Kayiira
's Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM) which were fighting to overthrow Obote’s government. With his military experience during the struggle to overthrow Idi Amin, Oyite Ojok proved very effective against these groups. However this was done with both military tact and brutality against the population in areas where the guerrilla forces operated. This was most prevalent in the Luwero District where the NRA was active and in the capital city, Kampala
where the UFM was based.
In Luwero, thousands of civilians were killed by the army – especially in an area called the ‘Luwero Triangle’. In Kampala
, the army and secret police carried out numerous random arrests which often involved arresting hundreds of people and loading them onto trucks which were then driven to army barracks. This phenomenon was called "Panda Gari" ("Load the Truck") and it instilled widespread fear in the capital as many of those taken to army barracks were beaten or killed.
The NRA and UFM had adopted different tactics. The UFM preferred to operate in urban areas like Kampala
and carried out spectacular attacks on government installations. This however left them vulnerable to counter attacks from the army which would simply cordon off a suburb and brutalise its residents until the guerrillas were revealed. This climate of fear plus the UFM’s lack of a credible political ethos meant Oyite Ojok’s army had effectively defeated them in 2 years.
The NRA preferred the rural areas and fought a bush war
which involved hit and run tactics against army patrols and vehicles. Museveni also developed a very effective political wing and vision. Having mostly defeated the UFM, Oyite Ojok concentrated his efforts in Luwero and had measured success against the NRA. It is widely believed that by early 1983, Museveni had departed for Sweden, leaving in place, however, the military and political organisation of the NRA.
The war with the NRA eventually began to crack the military and brought to fore rivalry between the two northern tribes that dominated the army -the Langi
(Obote and Oyite Ojok’s tribe) and the Acholi (Tito Okello – the Army Commander’s tribe). The majority of the army foot soldiers were Acholi and it was they who suffered most casualties in the war, and it is rumoured that they wanted to engage in peace talks with the guerrillas. Meanwhile, the elite Special Forces and most of the officers closest to Obote were Langi – and were fiercely opposed to any negotiations with the NRA. This rivalry came to a head at the time of Oyite-Ojok's fatal crash in December.
who, although unrelated to Tito Okello, was, as in the case of Oyite Ojok, another officer who participated in the overthrow of Idi Amin. Obote, nevertheless, appointed a junior Langi officer, Smith Apon-Achak. This further alienated the Acholi officers who overthrew Obote’s government two years later.
Thirteen years after Oyite Ojok's death, his family, living in Scotland
, welcomed his first grandchild, Nicole Pyerina Ojok, a granddaughter born in Edinburgh
in February 1996, who, having reached her early teens, has expressed admiration for her grandfather and his role in history.
Tanzania People's Defence Force
The Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Force was set up in September 1964. From its inception, it was ingrained in the troops that they were a people’s force under civilian control. They were always reminded of their difference from the colonial armed forces...
which removed strongman
Strongman (politics)
A strongman is a political leader who rules by force and runs an authoritarian regime. The term is often used interchangeably with "dictator," but differs from a "warlord".A strongman is not necessarily always a formal head of government, however...
Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
in 1979 and, until his death in a helicopter crash, served as the national army chief of staff with the rank of major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
.
Military career before 1979
Although there are few documented details regarding David Oyite Ojok’s early years, he was initially noted in his late twenties as a junior army officer serving during the 1966–71 period of President Milton OboteMilton Obote
Apolo Milton Obote , Prime Minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and President of Uganda from 1966 to 1971, then again from 1980 to 1985. He was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda towards independence from the British colonial administration in 1962.He was overthrown by Idi Amin in 1971, but...
’s first government. When Idi Amin overthrew Obote in 1971, Oyite Ojok was amongst the military personnel who fled to neighbouring Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and, eight years later, in the wake of Amin's 1979 invasion of the country, assumed a key role in the grouping of military exiles who, with the backing of Tanzanian troops, led the counteroffensive which resulted in the overthrow of Amin.
After Idi Amin
Now a top military figure, Oyite Ojok became a member, along with Yoweri MuseveniYoweri Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is a Ugandan politician and statesman. He has been President of Uganda since 26 January 1986.Museveni was involved in the war that deposed Idi Amin Dada, ending his rule in 1979, and in the rebellion that subsequently led to the demise of the Milton Obote regime in 1985...
, Paulo Muwanga
Paulo Muwanga
Paulo Muwanga was the chairman of the governing Military Commission, and the de-facto President of Uganda for a few days in May 1980 until the establishment of the Presidential Commission of Uganda. The Presidential Commission, with Muwanga as chairman, held the office of President of Uganda...
and Tito Okello
Tito Okello
General Tito Lutwa Okello , was a Ugandan Military officer and politician. He was the President of Uganda from 29 July 1985 until 26 January 1986.-Background:Tito Okello was born in 1914 in Kitgum District...
, of the Military Commission, a powerful sub-committee of the Uganda National Liberation Front
Uganda National Liberation Front
The Uganda National Liberation Front was a political group formed by exiled Ugandans opposed to the rule of Idi Amin with an accompanying military wing, the Uganda National Liberation Army . UNLA fought alongside Tanzanian forces in the Uganda-Tanzania War that led to the overthrow of Idi Amin's...
(UNLF) which ruled the country after Idi Amin’s overthrow. He was fiercely independent, but remained loyal to Obote who was preparing to return from exile.
The alliance of political forces in the UNLF under President Yusuf Lule
Yusuf Lule
Yusuf Kironde Lule was provisional president of Uganda between 13 April and 20 June 1979. His name is sometimes spelled Yusufu.-Early years:...
soon began to unravel. Of significant importance was the emergence of tribal rivalry. On the one side were those from the North who made up the bulk of the new national army, and on the other those from the South (particularly those from the Buganda
Buganda
Buganda is a subnational kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Ganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day Uganda, comprising all of Uganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala, with the exception of the disputed eastern Kayunga District...
tribe) who for the first time since 1964 had significant political and military influence.
Oyite Ojok, as the new chief of staff, ensured that the national army under his command was overwhelmingly made up of Northerners, such as himself. The political symbol for most of those from Northern Uganda was the Uganda Peoples Congress party and Obote, who was still in Tanzanian exile. Obote's possible return was opposed by many within the UNLF, particularly those from Buganda who recalled that it was Obote who had dethroned their King (the Kabaka
Kabaka
Kabaka may refer to:*Kabaka of Buganda, the title of the king of Buganda*Kabaka Puttur, a village in the state of Karnataka, India...
) and forced him into exile in 1966. It is widely believed that it was this opposition to Obote’s return and the growing influence of the northern dominated army that led to the removal of Yusuf Lule from the Presidency after only 2 months in office. Lule had also tried to extend his very limited presidential powers in the UNLF.
Lule was replaced by another Muganda, Godfrey Binaisa
Godfrey Binaisa
Godfrey Lukongwa Binaisa QC was a Ugandan lawyer who was Attorney General of Uganda from 1962 to 1968 and later served as President of Uganda from June 1979 to May 1980. At his death he was Uganda's only surviving former president....
who was seen as more of a figurehead. Real power now lay with Oyite Ojok and the Military Commission. The UNLF became more militaristic in appearance as army officers like Ojok became actively involved in politics, and the quasi-legislative National Commission and government ministers became less significant. On the ground the army became more brutal, particularly in Buganda and other areas of Southern Uganda. Most significantly, the Uganda Peoples Congress with its military allies began to actively organise and call for the return of Obote.
In May 1980, Oyite Ojok gained greater power when "figurehead president" Binaisa dismissed him as army chief in an attempt to reduce the power of the Military Commission. In response the Military Commission removed Binaisa from office and declared the country would be ruled by a Presidential Commission which included Muwanga, Museveni, Oyite Ojok and Okello. Although as Chairman, Muwanga presented the face of the Commission, real power was held by Oyite Ojok.
Return of Milton Obote
The Presidential Commission now paved the way for the return of Obote and organised what is widely regarded as a rigged election in December 1980. These elections resulted in "victory" for Obote’s Uganda Peoples Congress and Obote became president for the second time, appointing Oyite Ojok as Army Chief of Staff. Museveni, who had formed a rival political party, the Uganda Patriotic Front, disputed the result and started a guerrilla war against the government.As Army Chief of Staff, Oyite Ojok was responsible for attempting to defeat the guerrilla armies of Museveni's National Resistance Movement
National Resistance Movement
The National Resistance Movement , commonly referred to as the Movement, is a political organization in Uganda.Until a referendum in 2005, Uganda held elections on a non-party basis. The NRM dominates parliament, however, and is expected to continue to do so. The presidential elections of 12 March...
(NRA) and Andrew Kayiira
Andrew Kayiira
Andrew Lutaakome Kayiira , M.A., PhD, was the Leader of the Uganda Freedom Movement , a guerrilla organization that fought the governments of Milton Obote and Tito Okello between 1980 and 1986...
's Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM) which were fighting to overthrow Obote’s government. With his military experience during the struggle to overthrow Idi Amin, Oyite Ojok proved very effective against these groups. However this was done with both military tact and brutality against the population in areas where the guerrilla forces operated. This was most prevalent in the Luwero District where the NRA was active and in the capital city, Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
where the UFM was based.
In Luwero, thousands of civilians were killed by the army – especially in an area called the ‘Luwero Triangle’. In Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, the army and secret police carried out numerous random arrests which often involved arresting hundreds of people and loading them onto trucks which were then driven to army barracks. This phenomenon was called "Panda Gari" ("Load the Truck") and it instilled widespread fear in the capital as many of those taken to army barracks were beaten or killed.
The NRA and UFM had adopted different tactics. The UFM preferred to operate in urban areas like Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
and carried out spectacular attacks on government installations. This however left them vulnerable to counter attacks from the army which would simply cordon off a suburb and brutalise its residents until the guerrillas were revealed. This climate of fear plus the UFM’s lack of a credible political ethos meant Oyite Ojok’s army had effectively defeated them in 2 years.
The NRA preferred the rural areas and fought a bush war
Ugandan Bush War
The Ugandan Bush War refers to the guerrilla war waged between 1981 and 1986 in Uganda by the National Resistance Army against the government of Milton Obote, and later that of Tito Okello.-Events leading to the war:Following the Uganda-Tanzania War that removed Idi Amin in 1979, a...
which involved hit and run tactics against army patrols and vehicles. Museveni also developed a very effective political wing and vision. Having mostly defeated the UFM, Oyite Ojok concentrated his efforts in Luwero and had measured success against the NRA. It is widely believed that by early 1983, Museveni had departed for Sweden, leaving in place, however, the military and political organisation of the NRA.
The war with the NRA eventually began to crack the military and brought to fore rivalry between the two northern tribes that dominated the army -the Langi
Lango
-Lango of Uganda:The Lango or Jo Lango live in the Lango sub-region , north of Lake Kyoga. Lango sub-region comprises the districts of Amolatar, Alebtong, Apac, Dokolo, Kole, Lira, Oyam, and Otuke...
(Obote and Oyite Ojok’s tribe) and the Acholi (Tito Okello – the Army Commander’s tribe). The majority of the army foot soldiers were Acholi and it was they who suffered most casualties in the war, and it is rumoured that they wanted to engage in peace talks with the guerrillas. Meanwhile, the elite Special Forces and most of the officers closest to Obote were Langi – and were fiercely opposed to any negotiations with the NRA. This rivalry came to a head at the time of Oyite-Ojok's fatal crash in December.
Aftermath
In the decades following the helicopter crash which ended David Oyite Ojok's life at the age of 43, documented details have not been made public. The political ramifications for Uganda, however, were severe. Acholi officers now expected Obote to appoint an Acholi to replace Oyite Ojok. One obvious candidate, Bazilio Olara-OkelloBazilio Olara-Okello
Bazilio Olara-Okello was a Ugandan military officer and one of the commanders of the Uganda National Liberation Army that together with the Tanzanian army overthrew Idi Amin in 1979...
who, although unrelated to Tito Okello, was, as in the case of Oyite Ojok, another officer who participated in the overthrow of Idi Amin. Obote, nevertheless, appointed a junior Langi officer, Smith Apon-Achak. This further alienated the Acholi officers who overthrew Obote’s government two years later.
Thirteen years after Oyite Ojok's death, his family, living in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, welcomed his first grandchild, Nicole Pyerina Ojok, a granddaughter born in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in February 1996, who, having reached her early teens, has expressed admiration for her grandfather and his role in history.