Bernard Rwehururu ( – 26 February 2015) was a Ugandan military officer and author. He served in various Ugandan militaries from 1965 until 2013, including under the governments of
Milton Obote
Apollo Milton Obote (28 December 1925 – 10 October 2005) was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda to independence from British colonial rule in 1962. Following the nation's independence, he served as prime minister of Uganda from 1962 to ...
,
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...
,
Tito Okello
Tito Lutwa Okello (1914 – 3 June 1996) was a Ugandan military officer and politician. He was the eighth president of Uganda from 29 July 1985 until 26 January 1986.
Background
Tito Okello was born into an ethnic Acholi family in circa 1914 ...
, and
Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and retired senior military officer who has been the 9th and current President of Uganda since 26 January 1986. Museveni spearheaded rebellions with aid of then ...
.
After initially studying to become a
Catholic priest
The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...
, Rwehururu became a soldier to financially support his family. In the
Uganda–Tanzania War
The Uganda–Tanzania War, known in Tanzania as the Kagera War (Kiswahili: ''Vita vya Kagera'') and in Uganda as the 1979 Liberation War, was fought between Uganda and Tanzania from October 1978 until June 1979 and led to the overthrow of Uganda ...
of 1978–79, he rose to command a
Uganda Army battalion and fought in several battles. Alongside other remnants of the Ugandan military, he retreated into exile in 1979 and subsequently became part of a rebel group attempting to retake Uganda. In 1985, the new Ugandan government was overthrown by its own military; Rwehururu subsequently returned from exile and joined the
Uganda National Liberation Army
The Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) 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). UNLA fought alongside Tanzanian forces in ...
(UNLA). In the following year, the UNLA-backed regime was also overthrown, whereupon Rwehururu became part of the
National Resistance Army
The National Resistance Army (NRA), the military wing of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), was a rebel army that waged a guerrilla war, commonly referred to as the Ugandan Bush War or Luwero War, against the government of Milton Obote, and l ...
(NRA). He rose in the ranks of the NRA and its successor, the
Uganda People's Defence Force
The Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), previously known as the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. From 2007 to 2011, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the UPDF had a total strength of 40,000–4 ...
(UPDF), over the next decades. In 2002, he authored an autobiography, titled ''Cross to the Gun'', which detailed his experience in the various Ugandan militaries, particularly the
1971–79 period.
Biography
Early life
Bernard Rwehururu was born to Nathan Kyamwonyo
around 1941
in Ruhoko, Rugarama Sub-county,
Ntungamo District
Ntungamo District is a district in Western Uganda. Like most Ugandan districts, it named after its 'chief town', Ntungamo, the location of the district headquarters. Ntungamo was elevated to a district on 5th May 1993.
Overview
In the past, Ntun ...
.
His parents were
Protestant Christians
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
, but he defied them to convert to
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
when he was 15.
Initially, Rwehururu wanted to become a priest
and began studying for the priesthood.
After completing secondary school at Kitabi
Minor Seminary
A minor seminary or high school seminary is a secondary day or boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Catholic priests. They are generally Catholic institutions, and ...
in
Bushenyi District
Bushenyi District is a district in Western Uganda. Like many other Ugandan districts, it is named after its chief town, Bushenyi, where the district headquarters are located.
Location
Bushenyi District is bordered by Rubirizi District to the no ...
, Rwehururu realized that he had to earn money to pay the school fees for his brothers and sisters. If he continued his education to become a priest, he would only be able to make any money after seven years; as a result, he abandoned his studies and enlisted as an officer cadet
in the
Uganda Army (UA) in 1965.
At first, he attended a four-month training course in
Jinja.
One of his teachers during this period was
David Oyite-Ojok
David Oyite Ojok (15 April 1940 – 2 December 1983) 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 ...
. After completing the course at Jinja, he was sent on a training mission in India.
He graduated from the
Indian Military Academy
The Indian Military Academy (IMA) is one of the oldest military academies in India, and trains officers for the Indian Army. Located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, it was established in 1932 following a recommendation by a military committee set up ...
.
Upon returning to Uganda, he served at
Moroto Town
Moroto is a town in Moroto District in the Northern Region of Uganda. It is the location of the district headquarters.
Location
Moroto is approximately , by road, east of Gulu, the largest city in the Northern Region of Uganda. This is about , ...
.
Service under Idi Amin
In 1971, parts of the military overthrew
Ugandan President Milton Obote
Apollo Milton Obote (28 December 1925 – 10 October 2005) was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda to independence from British colonial rule in 1962. Following the nation's independence, he served as prime minister of Uganda from 1962 to ...
in a
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
.
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...
subsequently assumed the presidency and established a
military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a dictatorship in which the military exerts complete or substantial control over political authority, and the dictator is often a high-ranked military officer.
The reverse situation is to have civilian control of the m ...
. Rwehururu continued to serve under the
new regime.
He was eventually appointed head of a military tribunal against economic sabotage in
Busoga
Busoga ( Lusoga: Obwakyabazinga bwa Busoga) is a kingdom and one of four constitutional monarchies in present-day Uganda. The kingdom is a cultural institution which promotes popular participation and unity among the people of the region throu ...
and the eastern provinces.
Regarding the crimes committed by Amin's government and why he had continued to support this regime, Rwehururu maintained that a military officer "should do
heir
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Officiall ...
part" and not be "swayed by the wind that is blowing"; instead, officers should try to improve the situation from within the system. He also argued that he himself was a victim of Amin's regime, referencing an incident when he was almost sentenced to death during Amin's rule.
By 1973, Rwehururu was a Company Sergeant Major, and took part in
military exercise
A military exercise or war game is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat. This also serves the purpose of ensuring the com ...
s at the border of a neighboring state,
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
.
In October 1978, the
Uganda Army launched
an invasion of Tanzania under disputed circumstances, resulting in
open war. A few weeks later, Rwehururu was called by Lieutenant Colonel Tom Asiki in
Masaka
Masaka is a city in the Buganda Region of Uganda, west of Lake Victoria. The city is the headquarters of Masaka District.
Location
Masaka is approximately to the south-west of Kampala on the highway to Mbarara. The city is close to the Equator ...
; he was ordered to oversee the "guarding and patrolling the border as well as training the recruits" in the border town of
Mutukula.
[ This effectively placed him in command of the Suicide Battalion. Rwehururu was among the small number of military officers of non- West Nile origin who stayed loyal to Amin's government during the Uganda–Tanzania War.] He was regarded as one of the most competent Ugandan commanders during the war, with then-rebel leader and later Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and retired senior military officer who has been the 9th and current President of Uganda since 26 January 1986. Museveni spearheaded rebellions with aid of then ...
describing Rwehururu as one of the Uganda Army officers who gave the Tanzanians and their rebel allies a "lot of trouble".
By December 1978, the Tanzania People's Defence Force
The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) ( sw, Jeshi la Ulinzi la Wananchi wa Tanzania) is the military force of the United Republic of Tanzania. It was established in September 1964, following a mutiny by the former colonial military force ...
(TPDF) had repelled the initial Ugandan invasion and was preparing a counter-invasion. By this point, the border had become the frontline.[ Rwehururu attempted to improve the defenses along the border to prepare for the upcoming Tanzanian operation. He was frustrated by his superior officers such as UA chief of staff ]Yusuf Gowon
Yusuf Gowon (born Yusuf Mogi in 1936) is an Ugandan retired military officer who served as chief of staff for the Uganda Army during the dictatorship of Idi Amin. Originally a farmer, Gowon quickly rose in the ranks of the military due to a combi ...
who did not take his warnings and planning seriously. In addition, the TPDF subjected the Ugandan troops at the border to heavy artillery fire; Rwehururu "pleaded" for weaponry to counter these attacks, but the Ugandan high command never acted upon these requests. On 21 January 1979, the Tanzanians launched a cross-border attack on Mutukula, where Rwehururu's battalion was stationed.[ After some fighting, Mutukula was overrun by the Tanzanians, whereupon Rwehururu relocated his headquarters to Sanje.][
On 22 January, a helicopter carrying Brigadier ]Taban Lupayi
Taban Lupayi, often just called Taban, was a high-ranking Sudanese-born Ugandan military officer during the dictatorship of Idi Amin. He rose to commander of the Marine Regiment and deputy chief of staff of the Uganda Army following the 1971 Ug ...
and Lieutenant Colonel Godwin Sule
Godwin Sule (died 11 March 1979) was a high-ranking Sudanese-born Ugandan military officer who held important commands in the Uganda Army during the dictatorship of President Idi Amin. A native of southern Sudan, he fought as rebel in the First S ...
reached Sanje; the officers informed Rwehururu that the reinforcements which had been promised to him were coming from Lukaya, north of Mutukula. The men of the Suicide Battalion were furious, and Lupayi and Sule quickly left. Rwehururu subsequently withdrew his battalion to its barracks in Masaka.[ There, he and other officers set up new defensive positions, expecting a Tanzanian attack. The ]Battle of Masaka
The Battle of Masaka (Kiswahili: ''Mapigano ya Masaka'') was a battle of the Uganda–Tanzania War that took place from 23 February to 24 February 1979 in the town of Masaka, Uganda. Following an artillery bombardment, most of the Ugandan gove ...
began on 23 February 1979. Many of the Ugandan defenders quickly melted away, leaving the Suicide Battalion to defend the city alone. The TPDF stormed Masaka on the next day, and what remained of the Ugandan garrison was routed; Rwehururu later argued that he "lost control" of the situation. There were also accounts that the Suicide Battalion mutinied during the battle. The unit rallied outside Masaka, and then retreated to the north.
In his autobiography, Rwehururu claimed that he and the Suicide Battalion were later involved in the Battle of Sembabule from March to April 1979, a claim endorsed by his family members, the ''Daily Monitor
The ''Daily Monitor'' is a Ugandan independent daily newspaper. Its name is shared by the ''Saturday Monitor'' and ''Sunday Monitor'', which are also published by Monitor Publications Limited. ''Daily Monitor'' averaged a daily circulation of 24,2 ...
'', Museveni, and Tanzanian commander Steven Isaac Mtemihonda, a veteran of the battle. However, journalists Tony Avirgan and Martha Honey
Tony Avirgan and Martha Honey are a married couple and former journalistic duo who reported on the 1979 Uganda–Tanzania War and Central America in the 1980s. They were unsuccessful plaintiffs in '' Avirgan v. Hull'' (1986), a civil suit alleging ...
–who accompanied Tanzanian troops during the war– stated that the Ugandan Tiger Regiment, not the Suicide Battalion, had fought at Sembabule. Journalist Joshua Kato also claimed that the Suicide Battalion was involved in the Battle of Lukaya
The Battle of Lukaya (Kiswahili: ''Mapigano ya Lukaya'') was a battle of the Uganda–Tanzania War. It was fought between 10 and 11 March 1979 around Lukaya, Uganda, between Tanzanian forces (supported by Ugandan rebels) and Ugandan government f ...
during March 1979.
On 11 April, Uganda's capital of Kampala
Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...
fell
A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or Moorland, moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle o ...
to the Tanzanians and their rebel allies; Amin subsequently fled into exile. Unlike most of the Uganda Army soldiers, Rwehururu and his troops did not surrender or flee upon hearing of this. He opted to keep fighting, later stating that he "was not defending min'sgovernment. I was defending Uganda from invasion." Alongside the Suicide Battalion and other Uganda Army contingents, he retreated to the western city of Masindi
Masindi is a town in the Western Region of Uganda. It is on the road between Kampala and the Murchison Falls National Park. It is the site of the headquarters of the Masindi District.
Location
Masindi is approximately northwest of Kampala, Ug ...
. When the Uganda Army troops in Masindi heard that the TPDF had also captured Hoima
Hoima is a city in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Hoima District. It is also the location of the palace of the Omukama of Bunyoro.
Location
Hoima is approximately , by road, nort ...
, most of them panicked and fled for Kigumba
Kigumba is a town in Kiryandongo District, northwestern Uganda. It is one of the urban centers in the district. The other urban centres in Kiryandongo District include: (a) Karuma b) Kiryandongo (c) Bweyale and (d) Masindi Port.
Location
Kig ...
. Believing that he had to delay the Tanzanian advance to ensure a more orderly retreat of the UA troops, Rwehururu rallied the Suicide Battalion and set up an ambush on the Masindi-Hoima Road. For this plan, he placed his troops at Bulindi and successfully ambushed the TPDF forces. After this delaying action, he and his remaining troops fled into exile.
Later military career
Rwehururu first moved to Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
before relocating to Zaire
Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
(present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
). In 1980, the remnants of the exiled Uganda Army invaded the West Nile District in an attempt to topple the new Ugandan government, starting the Ugandan Bush War
The Ugandan Bush War, also known as the Luwero War, the Ugandan Civil War or the Resistance War, was a civil war fought in Uganda by the official Ugandan government and its armed wing, the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA), against a number o ...
. Rwehururu was among these forces, but the ex-Uganda Army troops were never able to substantially expand their operations beyond West Nile District. When the ex-UA troops split into rival factions, he became part of the Former Uganda National Army
The Former Uganda National Army (abbreviated as FUNA) was a Ugandan rebel group active during the Ugandan Bush War and the subsequent insurgencies in the country. The group claimed to be a continuation of the Uganda Army under Idi Amin and wa ...
(FUNA). For a time, he was even considered a potential leader of FUNA. Rwehururu ultimately settled as a refugee in Zaire. In 1982, his wife Rosemary attempted to visit him; she was almost raped by Zairian soldiers during her journey. Rwehururu later commented that he could not "stop admiring his wife for her love and courage".
In 1985, the government of Milton Obote's second presidency was overthrown by its own armed forces, the Uganda National Liberation Army
The Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) 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). UNLA fought alongside Tanzanian forces in ...
(UNLA). Rwehururu subsequently returned from exile, and joined the UNLA under the new President Tito Okello
Tito Lutwa Okello (1914 – 3 June 1996) was a Ugandan military officer and politician. He was the eighth president of Uganda from 29 July 1985 until 26 January 1986.
Background
Tito Okello was born into an ethnic Acholi family in circa 1914 ...
. However, Okello's regime was toppled by Museveni's National Resistance Army
The National Resistance Army (NRA), the military wing of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), was a rebel army that waged a guerrilla war, commonly referred to as the Ugandan Bush War or Luwero War, against the government of Milton Obote, and l ...
(NRA) in 1986, whereupon Rwehururu defected to the NRA. He served in various positions in the NRA and its successor organization, Uganda People's Defence Force
The Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), previously known as the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. From 2007 to 2011, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the UPDF had a total strength of 40,000–4 ...
(UPDF), including Defence Attaché at the Uganda High Commission in Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
, Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
. He was eventually appointed Commandant of the Uganda Military Academy in Kabamba Kabamba is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Surname:
*Edouard Kabamba (born 1987), Belgian footballer
*Maguy Kabamba (born 1960), Democratic Republic of the Congo writer and translator
*Nicke Kabamba (born 1993 ...
, the "most respected infantry training schools" in Uganda. In 2002, he published an autobiography, titled ''Cross to the Gun'', in which he detailed his experiences during Amin's rule and, according to the ''Daily Monitor'', attempted to "decipher what went wrong with the country's political and military class". From July 2009 to 2011, he served as the chairman of the General Court Martial in Makindye
Makindye is a hill in Kampala, Uganda's largest city and capital. The name also refers to the neighborhood that sits on that hill. Makindye is also the seat of Makindye Division, one of the five administrative zones of the city of Kampala.
Loca ...
. His last military post was chief advisor to UPDF commander Aronda Nyakairima.
Retirement and death
Rwehururu retired from the military with the rank of brigadier
Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...
in November 2013. He had long suffered from hypertension and diabetes, and these ailments worsened in his last years. On 26 February 2015, he died of heart and diabetic complications in his home in Jinja. He was buried in his birthplace of Ruhoko. He was survived by his wife Rosemary and eight children. His eldest son, Paul, had died three months before him.
After his death, Rwehururu was lauded by UPDF spokesperson Paddy Ankunda as someone "who spoke his mind". Ankunda also highlighted the importance of his book ''Cross to the Gun'' as detailing Uganda's historical development. UPDF commander Katumba Wamala
Edward Katumba Wamala (born 19 November 1956), more commonly known as Katumba Wamala, is a Ugandan general who serves as Minister of Works and Transport in the Ugandan cabinet, since 14 December 2019.
Before that, from 17 January 2017 until ...
praised Rwehururu as "a knowledgeable, humourous and smart officer".
Personal life
Rwehururu married his wife Rosemary in 1969; the two were temporarily separated from 1979 into the 1980s due to his exile.
None of Rwehururu's children opted to join the military, a decision he respected. By 2009, two of his sons were "doing private work", one worked as a physician
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
, one studied in Egypt, and one was a Catholic priest in Europe. In his later life, he also reconciled with his parents over his conversion to Catholicism.
Notes
References
Works cited
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rwehururu, Bernard
Ugandan military personnel
Military personnel of the Uganda–Tanzania War
1940s births
2015 deaths
Ugandan generals
Ugandan rebels
Ugandan Roman Catholics
Converts to Roman Catholicism from Protestantism
People from Ntungamo District