As a military convoy was approaching Major General Idi Amin’s residence, he received information about the impending arrest and jumped over the back fence to escape.
While the military searched his house, Amin first took refuge at the neighbors and from there, proceeded to Kenya.
Obote was president of Uganda at the time and had implicated the Army General in a defense scandal where Amin was accused of having misappropriated public funds.
But for the military man, these were trumped up charges and the real purpose of the arrest was to eliminate him.
There were rumors of a so-called “Lango Master Plan” where the army and government officers of the Luo tribe (Acholis and Langis) were said to be preparing a genocide-like purge of the government of Uganda so that they would take full control of the country.
Obote called Amin back and reassured him. Soon after, Amin was promoted to be the most senior officer in the army.
This promotion brought a new uproar from senior Luo officers in the army and government. One of their arguments was that Lt. Colonel Oyite Ojok who was Army Quarter Master General at the time, was more educated than Amin and therefore deserved the promotion.
Oyite Ojok was also one of their own, a Luo.
President Obote now faced serious decent from his own tribesmen and had to appease them lest they turned their weapons against him.
By 1971, rumors about the impending Master Plan were rife again. Top on the list for elimination was Major General Idi Amin Dada, the head of the army.
He had to be eliminated for the plan to succeed.
Those seeking for his neck claimed to Obote that Amin had planned the assassination attempt on the President in Lugogo in 1969.
They also told the President that the death of Brigadier Okoya and his wife in Gulu was planned and implemented by Amin. They however failed to link the military man to the double murder when matters.
Indeed it was discovered that Idi Amin had actually been at his hometown of Arua at the time of the Brigadiers death.
With all the accusing fingers trying to blame Amin, and with President Milton Obote under pressure from his fellow Luo tribesmen, the Master Plan quickly gathered momentum in a series of secret meetings.
Tensions started rising within the army, including even with the families of officers in the barracks’.
During the line up for rations, wives and children of the Luo officers would openly threaten those of the other tribes, pushing them out of the line and warning them about the impending purge whereby the Luo’s would rule Uganda.
In the Master Plan, the soldiers from the West Nile region of Uganda had to be eliminated since they were in big numbers in the army. And Amin, a known combatant and fighter, was from West Nile.
In a last meeting before travelling to the Common wealth meeting of Singapore, Obote is said to have agreed to the implementation of the Master Plan to take place while he was on the official trip abroad from the 14th to the 24th of January.
23rd January 1971 was code named “Bloody Sunday” for what was going to happen on that day, and Obote would be away at the time and therefore not be seen to have a hand in it.
Amin and many Uganda Army officers and soldiers were now in mortal danger.
Lt Col Okwang, a Luo and Commanding Officer of Lubiri military barracks was tasked to handle the implementation of the operation in his barracks. One Captain Keneri a sniper specialist was tasked to clear Amin upon his arrival back from Egypt were he (Amin) had gone for treatment.
With events in motion, Obote left for the Commonwealth meeting.
Amin got to know of the assassination attempt and avoided it. He then called a press conference on the 16th of January 1971 to announce the attempt on his life by elements close to Obote.
This brought more sympathy to Amin within the army and the country at large as he was already the most popular military officer in Uganda. Soldiers had always revered him for his hands on approach and his ability to easily mix and associate with the common man.
Minister Byagagaire on Amin’s right hand side
In the streets, people were genuinely concerned about what was happening in the leadership of the country and also what was happening against Idi Amin.
Suddenly on the 23rd of January, (the date for Bloody Sunday of the Master Plan) new developments started unfolding in the Lubiri barracks, the main military facility in the capital Kampala and former official residence of King Muteesa II, deposed first president of Uganda and King of Buganda.
Senior Luo officers in the facility started disarming all soldiers hailing from the other parts of Uganda and ordered them to take the day off.
Luo soldiers were brought in to replace them particularly on guard duty.
Sgt Major Musa Yaoga who was from West Nile, was duty officer in charge of the security of Lubiri Barracks. He was summarily detained to avoid any mishap of the plan.
At the time, many soldiers were just glad to be released from duty so as to enjoy their free time in the nearby Kisenyi bars.
At around 16:00, an announcement was made to the effect that Johny’s mess, where all the lowly ranked soldiers usually had their meals from, was to be the venue of an important officers meeting. All soldiers were ordered to stay away from the venue and instead gather unarmed at the Officers mess where they would be confined.
The meeting took place in the evening after 7pm and involved only Luo military officers.
When the meeting was over, the confined soldiers saw these officers and their kinsmen lining up at the armory to pick weapons and ammunition.
When other soldiers who had avoided being locked in the officers mess tried to join the line for their duty weapons, they were told off and also sent for confinement.
Suspicions now peaked within the military facility. People’s worst fears about the Master Plan were becoming reality right in front of their eyes. And they, in Lubiri, were about to become the first victims.
One soldier, Private Lubari from West Nile, escaped from the barracks and headed for nearby Kisenyi suburb where his comrades who had been relieved of guard duty were enjoying the evening.
He alerted them of what was happening in the barracks and mentioned that the Luo soldiers were now picking weapons from the armory and also disarming and locking up everyone else.
This group from Kisenyi got up and dashed back to the barracks to see what was happening.
Upon arrival, the quarter guard at the entrance of the barracks had been blocked and no one was allowed to enter the barracks.
The group returning from Kisenyi then suddenly received oncoming fire from the armed soldiers and had to retreat. But they only went around the barracks’ and climbed over the perimeter wall under the cover of darkness.
They then proceeded quietly to the area where all the Armored Personnel Carriers at the facility were parked.
One Private Musa Gala jumped in one of the APC vehicles. There were no keys to start the vehicle as all keys were usually kept together with all weapons at the armory.
He found a six inch nail and a key-like opener of tinned beef, fidgeted with that for a while to start the vehicle.
Suddenly, the APC roared into life.
His other comrades gathered around the vehicle for cover as Gala drove the vehicle through the compound.
Destination? The Armory.
Upon reaching there, the Private rammed the vehicle through the armory door shattering the buildings front wall with it.
His comrades dashed into the premises and helped themselves with weapons and ammunition.
Others grabbed the keys of the remaining military vehicles and very soon, several Armoured Personnel Carriers with heavy machine gun fire supported by foot soldiers armed to the teeth, were attacking the Luo soldiers in every corner of the barracks and liberating colleagues.
It is at this point that Amin is contacted from the communication system of one of the APC’s and told of what was happening at the barracks.
He orders the soldier to report to his official residence known as the Command Post for a debriefing.
After being told of unfolding events, Amin orders the Corporal to place the APC strategically in the middle of the road leading to the premises so as to prevent any would be attackers from gaining access to the residence.
Meanwhile, Sgt Major Musa Yoga, who had been released by his comrades from the Lubiri lock-ups, was now commanding the fight inside the barracks.
Some of the Luos fled for their lives, others got arrested and some were killed or injured in the firefight.
After clearing the facility, Yoga proceeded to deploy military vehicles with support troops into the city.
Two APC’s were sent to Parliament. Another two deployed to Amins residence in Kololo, a few at Radio Uganda, some at the Main Post Office and others patrolling the city.
More military vehicles were then sent to the towns of Jinja, Masaka, Mubende and Mbarara.
Amin, as Army Chief, quickly contacted all the commanders around the country ensuring that all military facilities were calm and that there would be no further fire fights.
On the 24th of January, everything seemed relatively quiet and a decision had to be taken as to what to do next.
Obote was to return soon, and for the Lubiri soldiers, that meant getting back to square one where their lives would once again be in danger.
It is at this point that one Sgt Major, requested Amin to lead the country. A request that Amin immediately rejected.
The soldiers also immediately turned their guns on Amin saying they would rather kill him and themselves if Amin didn’t take over as President.
Faced with the inevitable, (they were now all in the same boat anyway), all other imaginable options seemed worse for Amin and the officers from Lubiri.
Amin agreed to be president.
The Sgt Major then went on air on radio Uganda on the 25th of January to announce the military take-over led by Major General Idi Amin Dada.
The so called Master Plan had failed upon implementation and many Luo officers and soldiers were to suffer the backlash of their planned genocide after the take-over.
It is only later in the 90’s that elders from West Nile and those from Luo tribes were able to sit together, forgive each other and put that cycle of violence and retribution to rest.
But while many in Uganda and around the world today believe that Amin instigated a Military Coup against Apollo Milton Obote, what actually happened was an act of self defense by a bunch of soldiers from Lubiri barracks who had been enjoying a day off in the nearby Kisenyi suburb.
The Coup of 1971 was an incredibly ethnic development, and it didn’t belong to Amin. The coup belonged to Private Musa Gala, Sgt Major Aswa, Sgt Major Musa Yoaga. Corporal Lubari, Abdalatif, and around 200 other soldiers of all tribes and religions of Uganda who had feared for their lives and had to fight and take-over in order to survive Bloody Sunday.
by Hussein Juruga Lumumba Amin
Ugandans-At-Heart 
Comments
Wonder what took this “true story” too long to come out and did the Galas get medals?
Why do you get it wrong each time Abbey?, was Sir Edward Heath in the know that such ethnic wrangle would happen in Uganda for him to say some leaders would not go back to their countries during commonwealth meeting in Singapore? what role did Col. Barr Levi play in that misunderstanding? Didn’t anyone know what conflict was between Obote and the Western world about the “Move to the left ideology”? and war aganist aperthied in South Africa which Obote was the lead mover? this article lack depth & truth.Thanks and God bless u.
FACTS : RISE OF IDI AMINI TO POWER –
In the late 1960′s , a Sinister Plan to Exterminate the Sudanic
Peoples of Lado was drawn up . The Objective was to take Lado Land in
the district of the West Nile .
The Secret Plan, known as ” The Lango Masterplan ” of 1967, was made
by the Ugandan Government under President Milton Obote and was to be
carried out with the backing of Britain and the US .
President Obote , himself a Luo , had given orders to set the Plan in
motion in January 1971 . He had timed the Operation to coincide with
his visit to a British Commonwealth Conference in Singapore so that
the outside world and the press could not accuse him of having blood
on his hands.
Phony Coup Backfired on the Aggressors –
The Phony Coup , as the Purge was later described , was implemented on
24 January 1971 by the Ugandan Army. The Army had Isolated the Sudanic
Officers , and the Sudanic Soldiers had been Disarmed and locked up in
their barracks.
They were Trapped like ‘ Sitting Ducks ‘ in the Lubiri Barracks
outside the Ugandan Capital Kampala . The job to finish off the
soldiers of Sudanic origin was to be a simple ‘ walk-over ‘, but it
ended as a total Fiasco for the Ugandan Army . The Plan backfired
thanks to the two brave Sudanic Soldiers , and the Luo Soldiers fell
into their own trap .
What was to be a Bloody Massacre ( ‘ Bloody Sunday ‘ ) against the
Sudanic Soldiers turned out to be a Disaster for the Ugandan Army. A
Sergeant , Musa Yega , was among the few Sudanic Soldiers who had
avoided being locked up in the barracks . He now took charge as
Commander of the fight against President Obote’s National Army .
Tank Driver Rammed His Tank into Weapons Arsenal
Assistant Sergeant and Tank Driver , Jackson Asiki , ( from the Kakwa
Tribe ) rammed his tank into the weapons arsenal , and in a short time
they had armed the Sudanics from Kampala who had been alerted and
arrived at the barracks .
The whole operation was run by a Sergeant , a Tank Driver and a
Corporal , Longino Ofuruko , who was Tank Chief in the Ugandan Army .
The Sudanics waited for the Luo / Nilotic Soldiers to come through the
gate after which they were to finish the job of killing the Sudanic
Soldiers inside the barracks . They sensed no danger as the Sudanic
Soldiers tricked them by pretending to be Luo and speaking the Luo
language . Once inside the grounds , the Luo Soldiers were Attacked
and Defeated , and the Coup was over in twenty-four hours.
Ugandan Army Tricked by Ten-Year-Old
One of the gimmicks which tricked the Luo / Nilotic Soldiers to storm
the barrack gate was the wild shooting from the Command Post on the
Kololo Hill . It was Amin’s ten-year-old son who had been placed there
with a machine gun , but the Luo Soldiers thought it was Amin himself
.
However , Amin , who was Chief of Staff in the Ugandan Army, was not
even at the barracks . He had left Kampala earlier sensing that
something was in the making and not wanting to be part of it .
When Obote’s Forces had been Defeated , the Sudanic Lieutenant-Colonel
Ernest Obitre Gama of the Lugbari / Sudanic Tribe was asked to take
Power as President of Uganda . He refused , and the next in rank only
possibly remaining was Major-General and Chief of Staff Idi Amin Dada
from the Kakwa Tribe . Amin could not refuse by the Military ettichet
to take over , and this is how Amin became President of Uganda on 25
January 1971 .
The story of what really happened and what led to the rise of Amin as
President of Uganda , has now been told . And , in otherwards , Amin
came to power in a Military Counter Coup Operation in Uganda . Period
.
More readings on Website :
http://www.npi-news.dk/page37.htm
THE 1979 TANZANIAN – UGANDA WAR NOT TO HAVE OCCURED .
REASON ?
GENERAL IDI AMIN ON LADO ISSUE —– :
General Idi Amin was advised in 1973 by the Agofe of Lado himself ,
John Bart Agami Onzima II , in the all round table Nile Conference
which took place in Kampala , Uganda and after having reached an
Agreement between Lado and Uganda over Lado’s relationship with Uganda
, then and by 1974 Amin should have stepped down as President of
Uganda .
It was in 1971 , when he , Idi Amin became President after giving the
18 reasons to the Nation State – Uganda of removing President Obote
from power in Uganda , he was made to inform the Nation accordingly
that he , General Idi Amin , was to remain as President of Uganda for
the period of two years only .
Amin failed to undertake to this promise he made , thus opening up a
real grudge against his own Lado people . Infact in 1974 there was a
tumult and military insurrection that took place in Uganda in 1974
whereby a Brigadier by name Charles Arube who was Chief of Staff of
the Army same kin tribe ( Kakua ) like Amin from Lado too , but ,
stood behind the Agofe to continue of Lado issue , was killed by some
of the Ugandan soldiers loyal to Amin . Amin desperately looked to
eliminate
the Agofe but fortunately the Agofe was already hidden , taken away
from Uganda and back ended in Exile .
After that Amin declared himself Life President of Uganda and not let
go free Lado in his Administration Period . Amin was praised by some
outside Powers ( who didn’t like Lado to exist ) , not let go free
Lado and even encouraged him better to be Life President of Uganda to
hide the Lado issue .
Bob Astles , ( a British National ) , and Amin nominated him as a
Presidential Advisor to him , advocated for that for example .
More information anyway to give to clear some doubts you may have on
mind dear readers as we continue writing on —– .
Ronald .
I just found out that the soldiers mentioned and the events of the story exist for real…
Can you try to put some light on this Lado state. It is my first time of hearing about it.
its rily perplexing
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