Uganda 1975/86
Presidents come and Presidents go
It has to be said that Uganda is not a name that springs to mind as one of
the countries that have been associated with the use of mercenaries to help
settled leadership squabbles within its borders. However, on more than one
occasion mercenary armies have been recruited and readied for action to back
several different claimants to the position of President of the country.
Most of these undertakings took place after the over throw of Idi Amin, and
his terrible rule of terror that came to an end in 1979. However, the
change over did not take place in a calm collective air as was hoped by most
on looking and neighbouring countries. It was left to President Binaisa to
take over, a move that was looked upon by outside onlookers as a good move
at the time. However, it soon became apparent that life within Uganda would
not change, and for almost all of the country it was just going to be a
continuation of what they that had been used to under Idi Amines rule.
By 1980 President Binaisa had been replaced by Milton Obote who had already
held the Presidential position a few years earlier. Leaving ex president
Benaisa to flee to Kenya where he put his weight behind an anti Obote
movement. However, he was finally deported and moved to London. While there
he made contact with a mercenary recruitment group and set about organizing
and Army to place him back in power back in Uganda. Its reported that at
one time his recruiters claimed that they had around 400 to 500 men ready to
deploy in Uganda at a few days notice. The whole operation was to be based
in Zaire and carried out in two stages. First stage being the flying in of
mercenaries to take the Ugandan airport at Entebbe and also the centre of
the capital Kampala. The second stage was to send in back up where required.
There were suggestions that the C.I.A. might have been one of the backers.
Whatever the money failed to appear and so the whole operation fell through
and was called off.
Back in Uganda, Milton Obote had been deposed by his opposition once before,
while he was attending a Commonwealth Conference meeting outside of the
country. As is known to most African leaders this is always a bad time for
them, as many have found out the hard way. Obote had already been turned
down by the British Government when asked for military help to stabilize his
country.
However, unbeknown by many at the time Milton Obote was ahead of his rivals
and the British and had already been in touch with a British recruitment
company known as Falconstar, run by Peter Lemarchant an Ex Scots Guardsman.
Obotes gamble paid off and in 1982 Falconstar sent out a small group of ex
soldiers to train and organize the Ugandan Police Special Force. Although
Obote was totally unaware that Falconstar had been in touch with the British
Government and been given the green light by them to work for Obote.
Later they British Government signed an agreement with Obote and sent out a
twelve man team to run a Sandhurst style course for the Ugandan army, which
ended the agreement Obote had with Falconstar.
In 1985 another British recruitment company called Defense Systems Ltd of
London, and run by a former S.A.S. Officer Alastair Morrison was recruited
by Obote, who was by now under pressure from others in Uganda also wanting
to become President. Defense Systems contract was to help teach low level
tactical flying of helicopters. They were only in the country for about
three weeks when moves were made against Obote, when Yoweri Museveni
advanced victoriously into Kampala. Defense Systems employees ceased flying
claiming they were only advisors, and got out of the country as quick as
possible.
However, there is evidence that there were a few white mercenaries flying
helicopters on fighting missions in the area. It is also know that Bill
Waugh was a personal pilot for General Tito Okello and that he eventually
flew him out of the county to the Sudan.
© Copyright Terrance Aspinall. 2009
EM
On the 49th Parallel
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in
anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni
katika machafuko"
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