HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Juma Ali Oka Rokoni, commonly referred to as Juma Butabika, (died April 1979) was a Ugandan military officer who served as Uganda Army (UA) top commander during the dictatorship of
Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 30 May 192816 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 until Uganda–Tanzania War, his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a Military dictatorship, ...
. Despite being notorious for his erratic behavior and abuse of power, he was highly influential, held important army commands, and served as long-time chairman of the Ugandan Military Tribunal, a
military court A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the arme ...
used by Amin to try and eliminate political dissidents and rivals. By commanding an unauthorised attack on
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
in October 1978, Butabika was responsible for the outbreak of 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 Ugand ...
which ultimately resulted in his death in combat, probably during or shortly before the
Fall of Kampala The Fall of Kampala, also known as the Liberation of Kampala (Kiswahili: ''Kukombolewa kwa Kampala''), was a battle during the Uganda–Tanzania War in 1979, in which the combined forces of Tanzania and the Uganda National Liberation Front (U ...
.


Biography


Early life and 1971 coup

Born as Juma Ali Oka Rokoni, Butabika was of NubianKakwa descent, and a grandson of Kakwa paramount chief Sultan Ali Kenyi Dada as well as the cousin of
Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 30 May 192816 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 until Uganda–Tanzania War, his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a Military dictatorship, ...
's father. Having completed only a few years of primary education, he was reportedly
illiterate Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...
. At some point, Butabika joined the Uganda Army, and rose to second lieutenant during the rule of
Milton Obote Apollo Milton Obote (28 December 1925 – 10 October 2005) was a Ugandan politician who served as the second prime minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and the second president of Uganda from 1966 to 1971 and later from 1980 to 1985. A Lango, ...
. Over time, dissatisfaction grew among parts of the military about Obote's government, resulting in a conspiracy to remove him from power. Butabika joined the conspirators, and their coup was planned at his house. The initial plan was to blow up Obote's plane at the
Entebbe International Airport Entebbe International Airport is the only international airport in Uganda. It is located about southwest of the town of Entebbe, on the northern shores of Lake Victoria. This is approximately by road south-west of the central business distric ...
on 24 January 1971, but Butabika's wife informed her brother-in-law Ahmad Oduka, Senior Superintendent of Police, of the plot. He was supposed to be among those on the plane, and his sister-in-law urged him to stay at home on that day to save his life. Oduka, however, was loyal to the government and informed Minister of Internal Affairs Basil Kiiza Bataringaya. Though the assassination of Obote was prevented, the putschists still managed to launch a coup d'état on 25 January 1971. They overthrew the government, but then became unsure about a further course of action. Amin was initially reluctant to assume the presidency, whereupon Butabika reportedly threatened him at gunpoint to accept his appointment as
President of Uganda The president of the Republic of Uganda is the head of state and the head of government of Uganda. The President (government title), president leads the Executive (government), executive branch of the government of Uganda and is the commander- ...
. Meanwhile, Butabika's wife had fled the capital out of fear that her informing Oduka of the putschists' plan would have repercussions. Soon after the coup, Butabika was involved in the kidnapping and murder of two
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
citizens around July 1971, namely journalist Nicholas Stroh and
Makerere University Makerere University (; Mak) is Uganda's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922, and the oldest currently active university in East Africa. It became an independent national university in ...
lecturer Robert Siedle. The two had tried to gather information on unrest and mutinies that had broken out among some Ugandan military units as a result of Amin's seizure of power.


Career under the Amin regime


Abuse of power and army commands

Butabika became one of leading military figures under the new regime. Despite this, he was widely considered insane in Uganda, even by his own colleagues in the military. He was notorious for his eccentric, "erratic" and excessive behavior, including extreme brutality. According to George Ivan Smith, Butabika believed himself to be a "demi-god" as the government allowed him to kill and torture at will, while Peter Jeremy Allen described him as "merciless psychopathic killer" of "low mentality". Similarly, businessman Gordon Wavamunno had a very negative opinion of Butabika, and regarded him as one of those who "were intoxicated with unlimited and irresponsible power, and did not hesitate to abuse it at the slightest opportunity or excuse." The nickname by which he is best known stemmed from his extreme behavior: "Butabika" is the name of a prominent psychiatric clinic near
Kampala Kampala (, ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,875,834 (2024) and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kampala, Kawempe Division, Kawempe, Makindy ...
, and a byword for people with a mental illness in Uganda. Promoted to lieutenant colonel, Butabika served as commander of "elite" units that were regarded as especially loyal to Amin, including the Chui Battalion and the Malire Battalion. As time went on, elements in the military grew dissatisfied with Amin's regime.
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 ...
Charles Arube was among those who felt sidelined, and organised a meeting of high-ranking commanders in March 1974. Butabika was present, and offered Arube his help in cases where he felt ignored by the president. Soon after, Arube attempted to oust Amin in a coup d'état known as " Arube uprising". The Malire Battalion mutinied and joined the coup, but Butabika stayed loyal to Amin. In the end, Arube's coup failed.


The Military Tribunal

Despite his extremely limited education, Butabika was also appointed as chairman of the "Military Tribunal" in 1973. The Military Tribunal had been set up by Amin to circumvent regular courts and enforce his decisions; it thus had the reputation to "rubber-stamp Amin's death sentences". According to
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
, the tribunals Butabika chaired were ''de facto''
kangaroo court Kangaroo court is an informal pejorative term for a court that ignores recognized standards of law or justice, carries little or no official standing in the territory within which it resides, and is typically convened ad hoc. A kangaroo court ma ...
s and passed judgements without regard to laws or proper procedure. He often improvised sentences on the spot. Most prominently, he acquitted several senior military figures who were accused of involvement in the
forced disappearance An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person with the support or acquiescence of a State (polity), state followed by a refusal to acknowledge the person's fate or whereabouts with the i ...
of 18 prominent Ugandans. In contrast, Butabika passed extremely harsh judgements where opponents to the regime were concerned, earning a reputation as "one of Amin's chief executioners". One Ugandan dissident noted that the Lieutenant Colonel's tribunals generally resulted in the death of the accused; they were either executed or released, only to be rounded up and murdered by Uganda's secret service, the State Research Bureau. Butabika chaired several prominent tribunals, such as when he sentenced
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
author Denis Hills to death in 1975 on charges of sedition for calling Amin a "black Nero" and a "village tyrant". Two years later, he chaired the tribunal that sentenced 12 men to death for conspiring to murder Amin during a coup attempt code-named " Operation Mafuta Mingi"; this trial in particular was described as "travesty of justice, a 'show', since the conventions and pleas of guilt were obtained by force from the accused". He did, however, acquit Wod Okello Lawoko, senior manager of Radio Uganda, after the latter had fallen out of favor with Amin and been arrested on charges of treason. Though Butabika was once dismissed as chairman on one tribunal for misconduct, namely
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
in late 1976, he was later reinstated.


Uganda–Tanzania War and death

By 1978, hostilities had greatly increased between Uganda and the neighbouring state of
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
, with reports surfacing of invasion plans by the
Tanzania People's Defence Force The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) () is the military force of the United Republic of Tanzania. It was established in September 1964, following a mutiny by the former colonial military force, the Tanganyika Rifles. From its inception, ...
. Butabika was among the proponents of a preemptive strike against Tanzania, even though several other leading Ugandan officers believed that their military was not ready for a conflict with Tanzania. The situation escalated on 9 October 1978, when an altercation broke out between a Ugandan soldier and Tanzanian border guards. One of Amin's close advisors, Colonel Abdu Kisuule, later claimed that the entire incident had been orchestrated by Butabika to gain "favors and cheap popularity" from the president. According to this version, the Ugandan soldier who caused the altercation had been Butabika's brother-in-law, and his death in a shootout with Tanzanians caused Butabika to seek revenge. Others however report that the exact identity of the Ugandan soldier remains unknown, and that Butabika was lied to by his subordinates about the course of events; in that case, it is possible that he actually believed that Tanzanian border guards had initiated hostilities. In any case, Butabika consequently ordered an unauthorised attack on
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
, resulting in the outbreak of 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 Ugand ...
. His forces easily overran the Tanzanian troops stationed at Mutukula and Minziro, whereupon he telephoned Amin, claiming that Tanzania had launched an attack and that he had responded with a counter-attack. The president had already been eager to annex Tanzanian territory, and allowed the invasion to proceed. Reinforced by other UA detachments, Butabika occupied the entire Kagera salient (northern
Kagera Region Kagera Region (''Mkoa wa Kagera'' in Swahili language, Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 Regions of Tanzania, administrative regions. The region covers an area of . The region is comparable in size to the land area of the Netherlands. Kagera Reg ...
) until stopping at
Kyaka Bridge Kyaka Bridge, sometimes referred to as the Kagera Bridge, is a bridge in Tanzania that crosses the Kagera River. The bridge was blown up by Ugandan experts from Kilembe Mines in 1978 during the Uganda–Tanzania War. The present (truss) bridge i ...
, which was destroyed. The UA troops proceeded to celebrate while looting, raping and murdering in the occupied area. The Tanzanian military quickly regrouped, causing the UA to retreat back into Uganda even as President Amin declared Kagera's annexation. The Tanzanians launched a large counter-offensive, and the Ugandan military soon started to disintegrate under the onslaught. By the time the Ugandan border town Mutukula fell to the Tanzanian army in January 1979, Butabika was back in Kampala and prepared the celebrations for the 8th anniversary of Amin's rule. The lieutenant colonel took part in a parade at
Kololo Kololo is a hill in Kampala, the largest city and capital of Uganda. The name also applies to the upscale residential and commercial neighbourhood that sits on that hill. Location Kololo is close to the centre of Kampala, bordered by Naguru t ...
on 25 January, where he and other high-ranking commanders performed a traditional Nubian dance. One Ugandan later commented that when he saw the dancing officers on live television, he realised that his country's leadership "did not know what exactly was going on" in regard to the war. Butabika died in combat during the later stages of the war, though it is disputed when and where he was killed. According to an article by the Ugandan newspaper ''
Daily Monitor The ''Daily Monitor'' is an independent daily newspaper in Uganda. Launched in 1992 as ''The Monitor'', it established itself as a leading voice critical of the government and is one of the two largest national newspapers, alongside the state-ow ...
'', he died during the
Fall of Kampala The Fall of Kampala, also known as the Liberation of Kampala (Kiswahili: ''Kukombolewa kwa Kampala''), was a battle during the Uganda–Tanzania War in 1979, in which the combined forces of Tanzania and the Uganda National Liberation Front (U ...
. On 10 April 1979, the Tanzanian forces and their UNLF allies entered the city, encountering only light resistance. Butabika was reportedly one of the few leading Ugandan commanders who stayed in the city, and was killed in a firefight with Tanzanian soldiers of the 205th and 208th Brigades in the
Bwaise Bwaise is a neighborhood within Kampala, Uganda's capital city, capital, and largest city. Due to lack of proper urban planning, it has grown into a commercial, industrial and residential township with poor infrastructure. The lack of developed ...
-
Kawempe Kawempe is an area in the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital. It is also the location of the headquarters of Kawempe Division, one of the five administrative divisions of Kampala. Location Kawempe is located on the northwestern edge of Kampala. ...
area as they attempted to secure the northern section of the city on 11 April. In contrast, Tanzanian journalist Baldwin Mzirai wrote in his 1980 account of the war, ''Kuzama kwa Idi Amin'', that Butabika was killed at a Tanzanian roadblock on the Bombo road on 7 April 1979.


Personal life

Butabika was a
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, though he also believed in
magic Magic or magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces ** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic * Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...
. One observer described him as a "short and small ..bully" who enjoyed challenging "far more strongly-built men" for fights. He was married to a Ugandan woman of the Baziba tribe.


Notes


References


Citations


Works cited

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Butabika, Juma Idi Amin 1979 deaths Ugandan military personnel Ugandan Muslims Military personnel killed in action Military personnel of the Uganda–Tanzania War