Justine Odong LatekCommonly referred to simply as Odong Latek. Tim Allen, "Understanding Alice: Uganda's Holy Spirit Movement in Context" Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, Vol. 61, No. 3, Diviners, Seers and Prophets in Eastern Africa (1991), pp. 370-399 refers to him as ''Justin'', while sources referring to him as ''Justine'' include Richard M. Kavuma,
Ghosts from Nairobi 1985 haunt Museveni in Acholi
", The Monitor, 28 March 2004 and Lamwaka, Caroline
"The peace process in northern Uganda 1986-1990"
in Okello Lucima, ed.
''Accord magazine: Protracted conflict, elusive peace: Initiatives to end the violence in northern Uganda''
, 2002. Given that

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

names are often of secondary importance, the use of a normally feminine given name is not inconceivable. was a Ugandan

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. I ...

who served in 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) during 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 ...

and later led the

Uganda People's Democratic Army The Uganda People's Democratic Army (UPDA) was a rebel group operating in northern Uganda from March 1986 to June 1988. In January 1986, the government of Ugandan President Tito Okello was overthrown by the rebel National Resistance Army (NRA) ...

(UPDA) during the 1986–1994 war in Uganda.

Biography

Odong Latek was a veteran of

Kikosi Maalum Kikosi Maalum (meaning "Special Force" in Swahili), also known as the Special Battalion or the grand coalition, was a militia of Ugandan exiles formed in Tanzania to fight against the regime of Idi Amin. The unit was founded by and loyal to forme ...

who continued his military service with the UNLA following 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 Ugan ...

. He rose to captain until 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 ...

was overthrown by parts of the UNLA in the

1985 Ugandan coup d'état 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 ...

. 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 ...

, Odong Latek was promoted to brigadier and put in charge of

Gulu Gulu is a city in the Northern Region of Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The coordinates of the city of Gulu are 2°46'54.0"N 32°17'57.0"E. The distance from Gulu to Kampala, Uganda's capital and larg ...

. Following the victory of

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 ...

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) and the collapse of Okello's regime in 1986, Latek formed the UPDA. On 16 August 1986, the UPDA began attacks upon NRA units in

Acholiland The Acholi people (also spelled Acoli) are a Nilotic ethnic group of Luo peoples (also spelled Lwo), found in Magwi County in South Sudan and Northern Uganda (an area commonly referred to as Acholiland), including the districts of Agago, Amuru ...

. However, the UPDA was unable to wrest control of the population centers from the NRA. Following a 21 March 1987 meeting with the NRA, General

Salim Saleh Salim Saleh (born Caleb Akandwanaho, 14 January 1960) is a retired Ugandan military officer who served in the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), the armed forces of Uganda. He is a brother to the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, and an a ...

flew to the UPDA base and met with Latek, who is reported to have stated his support for the peace agreement. However, in May the UPDA replaced Latek with Angelo Okello, who had been commander of the UPDA Division One in

. Okello signed a peace agreement on 3 June 1988.Kavuma, op. cit. A 1997 report states that Latek and several UPDA units loyal to him did not take place in the peace talks on the advice of the UPDA political wing in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

.The Anguish of Northern Uganda
Government of USA, 2 October 1997 Latek and his followers then joined the

Lord's Resistance Army The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), also known as the Lord's Resistance Movement, is a rebel group and heterodox Christian group which operates in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the ...

to continue fighting. According to the recollection of a captured LRA commander, in September 1987 Latek met with LRA leader

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 variou ...

, who appointed Latek overall military commander.After the Last Fight
, New Vision, 25 November 2004 According to a former close confidant of Kony, however, Odong Latek and a group of his followers were relaxing in a secluded part of

Kitgum District Kitgum District is a district in Northern Uganda. It is named after its major town of Kitgum, where the district headquarters is located. It has suffered many deaths and social disruption resulting from the 20-year civil war within the region duri ...

when they were surprised by Kony's forces. They were rounded up, whereupon Kony assured the ex-UPDA fighters that they would not be harmed. Odong Latek was then "invited" to join Kony's force. In November 1989, Odong Latek was killed when the NRA stormed a rebel camp at Pawic in Palabek County,

Lamwo District Lamwo District is a district in the Northern Region of Uganda. The town of Lamwo is the site of the district headquarters. Location Lamwo District is bordered by South Sudan to the north, Kitgum District Kitgum District is a district in Nort ...

References

Works cited

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Odong Latek, Justine 1989 deaths Ugandan military personnel Lord's Resistance Army rebels Year of birth missing