Major General 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 (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent c ...

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). Effective 13 May 2024, he serves as commander of the "South Sudan Stabilization Mechanism", an observer force to ensure adherence to the peace agreements. Before that, he served as the Ugandan commander of the UPDF forces in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

under the joint Uganda/DRC mission code named

Operation Shujaa Operation Shujaa (loosely translated "operation of the brave") is an ongoing military offensive conducted by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda against insurgent forces in Kivu and Ituri Province, Ituri, mainly Islamic State (IS) af ...

. He simultaneously served as the commander of the UPDF Mountain Division, based in

Fort Portal Fort Portal formerly Kabarole () is a city located in the Western Region, Uganda, Western Region of Uganda. It is the seat of both Kabarole District and historically of the Tooro Kingdom. Etymology Fort Portal was named after British Diplomac ...

Kabarole District Kabarole District is a Districts of Uganda, district in Western Region, Uganda, Western Uganda. Kabarole District is part of the Tooro Kingdom. Its main town was Fort Portal before 1 July 2020 when it was elevated to a city, separating it from Ka ...

at the base of the

Rwenzori Mountains The Rwenzori (also known as the Ruwenzori, Rwenzururu or 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 ...

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

military attaché A military attaché or defence attaché (DA),Defence Attachés
''Geneva C ...

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

Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the Capital city, capital and Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-grow ...

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

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, 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 give ...

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 Multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during a large scale invasion in l ...

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

Mogadishu Mogadishu, 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 connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...

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

Sam Kavuma Lieutenant General Samuel Kavuma, commonly known as Sam Kavuma, is a Ugandan senior military officer. Since March 2024, he has been serving as the Commander of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Before that, from 24 June 20 ...

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, Uganda, Northern Region of Uganda. Location The sub-region is bordered by the Democratic Republ ...

, Northern Region of Uganda in 1970.

Military career

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 co ...

, based in Jinja, was founded, Lieutenant Colonel 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 (armed forces), 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 colon ...

, 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 t ...

in Kabamba as chief instructor. In 2012, the

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union 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 African Union. The b ...

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

South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...

, with the objective of hunting down fugitive warlord

Joseph Kony Joseph Rao Kony (born September 1961) is a Ugandan militant and warlord who founded the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), designated as a terrorist group by the MONUSCO, United Nations Peacekeepers, the European Union, and various other governments ...

. 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 conflict between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan militant religious extremist group, against the government of Uganda. Following the War in Uganda (1986–1994), Ugandan Civil War, ...

, namely Uganda, South Sudan, the

, and the

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to Central African Republic–Chad border, the north, Sudan to Central African Republic–Sudan border, the northeast, South Sudan to Central ...

. 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 (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

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 military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...

Kayanja Muhanga Lieutenant General Kayanja Muhanga (born 1965) is a Ugandan army officer, who 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 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 Repub ...

Family

Olum is a 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