Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Richard Prit Olum, commonly known as Dick Olum, is a

military officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

in 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), who serves as the Ugandan commander of the UPDF forces in the

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 ...

under the joint Uganda/DRC mission code named ''Operation Shujaa''. He also serves as the commander of the UPDF Mountain Division, based in

Fort Portal Fort Portal or Kabarole is a city located in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the seat of both Kabarole District and historically of the Toro Kingdom. Location Fort Portal in Kabarole District is located approximately by road, west of Kampal ...

Kabarole District Kabarole District is a district in Western Uganda. Kabarole District is part of the Kingdom of Toro. Its main town was Fort Portal before 1st July 2020 when it was elevated to a city, separating it from Kabarole district Government. The new Kaba ...

at the base of the

Rwenzori Mountains The Ruwenzori, also spelled Rwenzori and Rwenjura, are a range of mountains in eastern equatorial Africa, located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The highest peak of the Ruwenzori reaches , and the range' ...

. His appointment was made on 12 October 2022. Before that, from October 2017 until October 2022, he was Uganda's

military attache A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such ...

at the Ugandan embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, based in

Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ln, Kinsásá), formerly Léopoldville ( nl, Leopoldstad), is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages situated along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one o ...

. Immediately prior to that assignment, from April 2015 until October 2017, he was the

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

of the third army division of the UPDF, based in Moroto. Before that, he served as the commander of the UPDF contingent in Somalia as part of the

African Union Mission to Somalia The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations Security Council. It was mandated to support transitional governmental structures, imple ...

(AMISOM). He was appointed to that position in June 2013 by

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 ...

, the commander in chief of the UPDF and the president of Uganda. He took his position in

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

Somalia, in September 2013. His mission to Somalia ended in November 2014 when he was replaced by

Sam Kavuma Major General Sam Kavuma, whose full name is Samuel Kavuma, is a Ugandan senior military officer. He currently serves as the deputy coordinator of the Operation Wealth Creation effective 24 June 2021, he was appointed by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. ...

Background

Olum was born in

Zombo District Zombo District is a district in the Northern Region of Uganda. The town of Zombo is the district's main municipal, administrative, and commercial center, Location Zombo District is bordered by Arua District to the north, Nebbi District to the ...

West Nile sub-region West Nile sub-region, previously known as West Nile Province and West Nile District, is a sub-region in north-western Uganda, in the Northern Region of Uganda. Location The sub-region is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the s ...

, Northern Region of Uganda in 1970.

Military career

2014 08 30 Operation Indian Ocean-1 (14898167967)

In 2006, when the

Uganda Junior Staff College The Uganda Junior Staff College, is a staff college in Uganda. Typically, graduates are commanders in the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF). Other African countries also send their cadets to the college for training. Past graduates of the coll ...

, based in Jinja, was founded,

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Olum was selected to be its commandant. In 2010, at the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

, he was transferred to the

Uganda Military Academy The Uganda Military Academy, is a military academy in Uganda, East Africa. Traditionally, graduates of the Military Academy are commissioned as officers in the Uganda People's Defence Force. Other African countries also send their cadets to th ...

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 ...

as chief instructor. In 2012, the

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the Africa ...

(AU) established a 5,000 strong military force, based in

Nzara Nzara is a town in Western Equatoria State. It lies to the northwest of Yambio by road, and is 25 km (15m) from the border with the DR Congo. Nzara was industrial center of the Azande Scheme also known as, Equatoria Project Scheme during ...

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...

, with the objective of hunting down fugitive warlord

Joseph Kony Joseph Rao Kony (likely born 1961) is a Ugandan militant who founded the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a Christian fundamentalist organization, designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations Peacekeepers, the European Union and various ...

. The force was composed of troops from the African countries affected by the

Lord's Resistance Army insurgency The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) insurgent group since 1987. Currently, there is low-level LRA activity in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Ce ...

, namely Uganda, South Sudan, the

, and the

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...

. Colonel Olum was selected as the first commander of the AU force against Kony. In June 2013, he was assigned to lead the UPDF contingent to AMISOM and was appointed acting brigadier. He assumed his post in Somalia in September 2013. In November 2013, Olum was promoted to full

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 the UPDF. In April 2015, he was appointed commanding officer of the UPDF third division, based in Moroto. As commander of the UPDF Mountain Division and as commander of Operation Shuja, General Olum replaced

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Kayanja Muhanga Lieutenant General Kayanja Muhanga (born 1965), is Ugandan army officer. He currently serves as Commander Of Land forces in UPDF . He was appointed to that position in October 2022 by the President of Uganda and Commander in chief of the UPDF, ...

who was promoted to the position of Commander of the UPDF Land Forces, based in

Bombo, Uganda Bombo is a town in Luweero District in the Central Region, Uganda, Central Region of Uganda. History Many officers and soldiers of the Uganda Army (1971–1980), Uganda Army (UA) settled in Bombo upon their retirement during the Second Republic ...

Family

Olum is married father of two children.

References

External links

Anti-LRA Operation: Colonel Olum Takes Over Command

Colonel Olum to Head Hunt for Kony
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olum, Dick People from Zombo District Living people Alur people 1970 births Ugandan Roman Catholics People from West Nile sub-region Ugandan generals

Background

Military career

Family

See also

References

External links