SOME NOTES ON THE organisation OF THE UGANDAN ARMY, 1971-1979

Introduction and general comments.

Before actually talking about the uniforms, I think something has to be said about the actual structure of the army. This is, in short, a fairly tortuous matter, worsened by the vagueness and sparseness of the source material, and the tendency of units to have one or several alternative names. I am aware of three published army lists: the one in Cooper & Fontanellaz, the one on Wikipedia, and a short one at the back of Ghosts of Kampala. I think, in different ways, these all have certain issues, and so –very presumptuously– I attempt to offer a new list here.

I am trying to stick to sources which are contemporary or, in my entirely subjective view, “good” in some other sense. I say this mainly by reference to the Wikipedia article, which makes heavy use of the modern reminiscences of Amin-era veterans, as captured in online Ugandan newspaper articles. This material is fascinating, but I use it very cautiously, in view of the lapse of time between the events and the recollections of them.

I assume actual, decisive, definitive answers to the many issues are all lying in the archives in Kampala or elsewhere. Omara-Otunnu in his book quotes extensively from internal army memoranda etc., which he apparently found at the “Uganda National Liberation army Records Office” – where this is today, if anywhere, I do not know.

Terminology.

A particular point to keep in mind is how the terms “battalion”, “regiment” and “brigade” were employed. The terms “regiment” and “battalion” seem to have been used interchangeably. I assume this is simply a consequence of the UA being organised along British lines – that is, battalions were tactical units whereas regiments were “identities”. For the purpose of this page, I use the two words interchangeably, and broadly in line with how the sources use them (e.g. the armoured unit based at Camp Malire is invariably “the Malire Regiment”), and I am assuming that all “regiments” were in fact single battalions.

“Brigade”, meanwhile, seems to always be intended to mean something larger than a single battalion.

Vaguely in support of this, I note that both “battalions” and “regiments” seem to have been commanded by lieutenant-colonels, whereas “brigades” were sometimes (but not always) commanded by full colonels, or higher.

Numbering.

The “original” infantry battalions were numbered 1st-4th. The 4th (Simba) Infantry Battalion became the nucleus of the new Simba Mechanised Brigade in April 1973, and from that point seems to have been known as the 1st Simba Mechanised Regiment – “1st” presumably by reference to its status as the senior battalion/regiment in that brigade. The 2nd and 3rd Infantry Battalions are also attested towards the end of Amin’s reign (both in 1978) as being “1st”, implying they too had become the nuclei of new brigades. I’ve seen nothing to suggest these expansions were more than nominal. This is all dealt with in more detail in the relevant sections.

Henry Kyemba, writing in 1977, makes an interesting reference to the “thirteen battalions” of the army – he excludes the military police and the ordnance depot from this.[1] Excluding the elusive 2nd battalions of the Gonda and Tiger Regiments (which may not have existed at the time he was writing, if they ever did subsequently) I count twelve – 1st-4th, Malire, Suicide, Kifaru, Chui, Air and Seaborne, Marine, Airborne, Commando. Probably the Artillery Regiment was the intended thirteenth.

Commanding officers.

I should note here that my list of commanding officers is intended to only cover “de jure” commanding officers – the sources have many references to this or that person, often a major, as “acting” commanding officer of a battalion/regiment.

“Events”

The “Events” sections currently don’t cover the Kagera War – this will follow later.

Later enlargement and motorisation of the army

The army continued to expand —at least, on paper— throughout Amin’s reign. The original four battalions all seem to have been enlarged, and/or “mechanised”, to whatever extent, in the mid-1970s. I deal with this in more detail in the relevant sections. The formation of the Suicide Regiment as a companion for the Simba Regiment is well attested, but the enlargement of the other three infantry regiments is more obscure. Tanks seem to have been in fairly short supply, but Cooper & Fontanellaz state that the USSR gave Amin 162 APCs (“primarily BTR-40s”) in late 1973-early 1974,[2] which would’ve been enough to equip about five battalions (by reference to a Soviet motorised rifle battalion of the 1970s, which I understand had about thirty-three APCs). So elusive units like the “Eagle Gaddafi Mechanised Battalion” may indeed have been motorised, though presumably lacking tanks and other heavy equipment.

Other new units, like the “Striking Force”, and the purported expeditionary force in Egypt, seem to have been pure fantasies.

A problem with Soviet tanks.

I put this up in the introduction because it affects the Simba, Malire and Suicide Regiments.

Cooper & Fontanellaz state that the USSR gave Amin 16 T-55 tanks in “late 1973 and 1974”.[3] They write that the Simba Regiment had “a company of” T-55s, without citing a source.[4] My understanding is that a contemporary Soviet tank company had 10 tanks (nine plus the command tank), so 16 would in theory allow for two under-strength tank companies to be formed and (in theory) given to different units.

A March 1974 state radio broadcast describes the Suicide Regiment as having just received Soviet “tanks and APCs”.[5] The date matches well with the date given in Cooper & Fontanellaz. I have another reference, in July 1974, to Amin visiting the “tanks” of this unit.[6]

Taking Cooper & Fontanellaz’ assignment of a company of T-55s to the Simbas to be correct, this lets us imagine, say, eight of the T-55s going to the Simbas, and the other eight going to the Suicides. This feels plausible and not inappropriate tactically, seeing as the two regiments were brigaded together.

However, this idea is very hard to reconcile with another radio broadcast, of April 1974, where Amin says that, of his six mechanised battalions, only one is equipped with Soviet weapons. Taken literally, this means we have to give all the T-55s to one battalion – and, if so, we have more grounds for giving them to the Suicides instead of the Simbas. However, I think this entire statement of Amin’s is highly improbable – at that point it’s very unlikely the army had six mechanised battalions, even on paper, and probably a vast majority of the army’s APCs etc were Soviet (see above), despite his denials. All very unclear.

Libya gave Amin 10 T-34s in c. July-August 1976.[7] Cooper & Fontanellaz assign these tanks to the Suicide Regiment, but they erroneously think the Suicide Regiment and the Malire Regiment were the same unit. However, if their source (not given) attributed them to the Suicide Regiment, I think this is plausible. The Malire Regiment is less likely, as it already had (Sherman) tanks. If the Suicide Regiment got tanks in 1976, does that imply they didn’t have tanks up to then? I.e. if they had tanks (i.e. eight T-55s) perhaps another, tank-less, unit would’ve been higher priority. Meanwhile Vita vya Kagera, which shows some abandoned Ugandan T-34s, possibly shows them at Mbarara (garrison of the Simbas) rather than Masaka (garrison of the Suicides), though this point isn’t at all clear.

Hopefully more information will emerge to help clear all this up.

The Ugandan order of battle under Idi Amin (as I understand it)

1st Infantry Battalion (aka the Eagle Colonel Gaddafi Battalion, aka the Jinja Battalion)

Name. The George VI Barracks at Jinja was renamed the “Gaddafi Barracks” in March 1973, to mark a visit from the Libyan leader, and presumably the battalion took the “Gaddafi” title on or around this point.[8] Later, the name “Eagle Gaddafi Garrison” is attested.[9] I assume the “Eagle” title is of earlier date, in view of the other infantry battalions also having animal names, but the earliest attestation I currently have is November 1973.[10] I have a single attestation of “Eagle Gaddafi Mechansied Battalion” (in 1975)[11] – see the “history” subsection below. I’ve also seen “Burma Battalion” (a reference presumably to Amin’s purported service with the KAR there in WWII) but lack a good source for it.[12]

History. Raised in 1895 as the Uganda Rifles (later, 4th Battalion King’s African Rifles, etc.). In December 1974 this unit was (I quote from the state radio) “inaugurated from a rifle [regiment] to a full mechanised regiment”.[13]

Events. “Scores” of Acholi and Langi soldiers massacred at the barracks in July 1971.[14]

Garrison. Jinja (perhaps as early as 1900 or so).[15]

Commanding Officers. Lt-Col. Oyok (-Jan 71).[16]

2nd Infantry Battalion (aka the Gonda Battalion, aka the Motoro Battalion)

Name. This is generally called the “Gondo” Battalion in the sources, but so far as I can tell “gondo” means nothing particular in Swahili, while a “gonda” is a sort of lizard creature.

History. Raised 14 November 1963.[17] A “1st Gonda Regiment” is attested in November 1978.[18] I’ve so far seen no evidence of higher-numbered Gonda Battalions/Regiments, or a “Gonda Brigade”.

Events. Acholi and Langi soldiers massacred at the barracks sometime in mid-1971.[19]

Garrison. Motoro (November 1963).[20]

Commanding Officers. Lt-Col. Tom Loyira (-Jan 71).[21] Lt-Col. Ozo (-Jul 71).[22] Lt-Col. Bananuka (-Nov 78-).[23]

3rd Infantry Battalion (aka the Tiger Battalion, aka the Mubende Battalion)

Name. This unit seems not to have had a Swahili animal name, oddly. 

History. Raised February 1965.[24] The 1978 Defence and Foreign Affairs Handbook refers to a “Tiger Regiment” of three battalions existing in 1978[25] -- this might well reflect some actual circumstances, to whatever degree of accuracy. A “1st Tiger Regiment” is attested in November 1978.[26] I’ve so far seen no evidence of higher-numbered Tiger Battalions/Regiments, or a “Tiger Brigade”.

Events. The unit participated in the September 1972 fighting.[27] A mutiny in the unit in ?1978 was suppressed.[28]

Garrison. Mubende.

Commanding Officers. Lt-Col. Abwola (-Jan 71).[29] Lt-Col. ?Abdulla Buya (Feb 74-).[30] Lt-Col. Yakobo Abiriga (-Nov 78-).[31] Lt-Col. [a name heard phonetically as “Nine-Nine”] (-Mar 79-).[32]

4rd Infantry Battalion (aka the Simba Battalion, aka the Mbarara Battalion)

Later, the Simba Mechanised Regiment (aka the 1st Simba Mechanised Regiment)

Name. “Simba” of course meaning “lion” in Swahili. Having been upgraded to a mechanised unit in April 1973[33] it was re-named the “Simba Mechanised Regiment”. It is later described as the “1st Simba Mechanised Regiment” – my presumption is that the “1st” is by reference to its position at that time as the senior unit in the Simba Mechanised Brigade (see below) rather than it moving up the infantry battalion order of precedence.[34] It might have even simultaneously been the “4th” (re: the infantry numbering) and the “1st” (re the Simba Mechanised Brigade numbering), vis-à-vis its use of “14 UA” vehicle registrations.

History. Raised March 1965.[35] Upgraded to a mechanised unit in April 1973.[36] There was a “Simba Battalion” in Mbarara in 2008, and presumably still is today – whether this is (or regards itself as) a direct continuation of the Amin-era unit, I do not know.[37]

Events. “Scores” of Acholi and Langi soldiers massacred at the barracks in July 1971.[38] Two American journalists, researching this massacre, were also killed at the barracks, earning Amin some bad foreign publicity. The unit participated in the September 1972 fighting.[39]

Garrison. Mbarara.

Commanding Officers. Lt-Col. Ali Fadhul Wariss (Apr 71-Jul 71-).[40][41] Col. Gowon (-73-).[42] Lt-Col. Juma ?Baker (May 74-).[43] Col Juma Adeke (-Aug 75-).[44] Maj. Erifazi Sabila (-Sep 78-).[45] Lt-Col. Yusuf Adeke (-Nov 78 – Mar 79).[46][47]

2nd Simba Mechanised Specialist Battalion

Later, the Revolutionary Suicide Mechanised Specialist Regiment[48]

Name. Originally the 2nd Simba Mechanised Specialist Battalion – “2nd” by reference to the “original” Simba Battalion (i.e. the 4th Infantry Battalion).[49] Re-named the Revolutionary Suicide Mechanised Specialist Regiment in February 1974.[50] Kyemba writes that the unit was “named solely for dramatic effect”.[51]

History. First seen by me in May 1973, and presumably raised around that time, in connection with the formation of the Simba Mechanised Brigade.[52] This unit is sometimes taken as an alternate name of the Malire Regiment (e.g. in Cooper & Fontanellaz) but the evidence suggests this cannot be correct. It received Soviet armour (unclear exactly what, beyond a general reference to “tanks and APCs”) in March 1974.[53] A “Masaka Mechanised Regiment” is attested in 1986, fighting for the UNLA against the NRA – whether that unit was connected lineally to the Suicides, I do not know.[54] A unit by that name existed in 2008, and presumably still exists today (having, presumably, made its peace with Museveni at some point, if it isn’t a new raising).[55]

Garrison. Masaka.[56]

Commanding Officers. Lt-Col. Isaac Maliyamungu (May 73-).[57] Lt-Col. Gore(?) (-Feb 74-Dec 74-).[58][59] Lt-Col. Asiki or Akiki (-Nov 78 – Feb 79-).[60][61]

5th Mechanised Specialist Reconnaissance Regiment (aka the Malire Regiment)

Name. The regiment was named after its original barracks at Camp Malire, Lubiri, Kampala. “Malire” is apparently Luo for “booty” – the sense presumably being the capture and plunder of the royal palace at Lubiri, which was subsequently converted into the barracks where the regiment was stationed.[62] The name stuck to the unit even after it was transferred to Bombo in 1974.[63] Possibly the name “Camp Malire” itself transferred to the new barracks at Bombo.[64]

History. Raised July 1967.[65] A “brigade reconnaissance company”, raised at some point in 1965,[66] may have been its ancestor. The unit seems to have survived Amin – Omara-Otunnu has Godfrey Binaisa visiting it in May 1980.[67]

Events. This unit was instrumental in Amin’s coup in 1971. The commanding officer, Lt-Col. Akwanaga, was killed by his own soldiers during the coup.[68] In March[69] 1971 “thirty-two senior Langi and Acholi officers were herded into a room and blown up with explosives”.[70] The unit participated in the September 1972 fighting.[71] The unit mutinied and attempted to overthrow Amin during the Arube affair in March 1974.[72] We read in one account that the regiment was “broken up” after its participation in the Arube affair,[73] which is entirely incorrect as far as I’m aware. It provided the guard of honour for the Kampala OAU summit in April, only weeks after the Arube affair,[74] and it still had its most potent hardware, its Shermans, in January 1976.[75] It made a fairly desultory second attempt at overthrowing Amin in 1977.[76]

Garrison. Camp Malire, Lubiri, Kampala (July 1967).[77] The regiment was obliged to relocate to Bombo[78] in 1974 following the Arube affair. It was still there in 1978.[79]

Commanding Officers. Lt-Col. Akwanaga (-Jan 71).[80] Lt-Col. Musa (-Aug 72- “late” 73).[81][82] Lt-Col. Godwin Sule (-Dec 73-Feb 74-).[83][84] Lt-Col. Nasur (-May 1978).[85] Lt-Col. Juma Ali (-Sep 78-Nov 78-).[86][87]

The Kifaru mechanised unit(s).

Name. Swahili for “Rhinoceros”. This has a typical “word salad” sort of name – the longest I have seen is “Kifaru Mechanised Specialist Reconnaissance Regiment.”[88]

History. Obscure. These seem not to have existed in c. late 1972.[89] An announcement of promotions in early 1974 mentions the “Kifaru Mechanised Specialist Regiment” and, in the same sentence, the “Kifaru Mechanised Battalion”. I would normally take these two names as variations of the same unit name, but them both together in a single sentence gives me pause. Meanwhile another announcement of promotions, from 1977, has the major acting as commanding officer of the “regiment” promoted to lieutenant-colonel and made commanding officer “of that battalion”.[90] At any rate, we have another mechanised unit, either a battalion or a battalion plus something else – the use of “Kifaru Mechanised Battalion” without a distinguishing number in the 1974 announcement perhaps implies support units rather than a second battalion.

Garrison. Bondo seems to have been the unit’s headquarters.[91] In 1975 there were “units” in Bondo, Koboko and Moyo – some distance apart, but all in the West Nile area.[92]

Commanding officers. [Note: I’m assuming this was a single unit for the purpose of listing the commanding officers here.] Lt-Col. Mustapha (-Jan 74).[93] Lt-Col. Gabriel (Jan 74-).[94] Lt-Col. Eskol (-Aug 75-).[95]

Chui Battalion

Name. Swahili for “Leopard”. Was known as the “Chui Reconnaissance Regiment” in December 1974.[96]

History. Raised in 1974.[97] A confusing radio announcement of December 1974 stated that the “Chui Reconnaissance Regiment, Gulu [has been upgraded to] a full reconnaissance regiment”.[98] What it had been, prior to that upgrade, is unclear. “Reconnaissance” in the Ugandan Army context seems to have meant the unit had vehicles – what types, and now many, I have no idea.

Events. The unit fought skirmishes with State Research Bureau men in 1978.[99]

Garrison. Gulu (1974).[100]

Artillery Regiment

History. Date of raising unclear. Was in existence by September 1972.[101]

Events. The unit participated in the September 1972 fighting.[102]

Garrison. Masindi (by August 1975).[103]

Commanding officers. Lt-Col. Emmanuel Ogwa (-Jan 71).[104] Lt-Col. Abdu Kisuule (-Nov 78-).[105]

Anti-Aircraft Detachment

History. Raised 1 July 1965. Subsequent history unclear.[106]

Signals

History. Unclear to me. There was a signals unit at GHQ in August 1964[107], and later a “brigade signals squadron” was raised in April 1965.[108]

Garrison. Jinja (1965).[109]

Artillery and Signals Regiment

This unit appears in Cooper & Fontanellaz’ list. So far I’ve never seen the name “Artillery and Signals Regiment” used in contemporary sources, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen the Signals attested as a separate unit after Omara-Otunnu’s mention of its formation, and the army list in Ghosts of Kampala seems to describe the “Chief Signals Officer” as a position within the Artillery Regiment. So my best guess is that the army’s signals function above battalion level was performed by the Artillery Regiment.

Air and Seaborne Battalion[110] (aka the Sea and Airborne Battalion)[111]

History. Date of raising unclear. Was in existence by January 1972.[112]

Garrison. Tororo (by January 1972).[113]

Commanding officers. Lt-Col. Toloko (-Mar 71-Jan. 72-).[114][115] Lt-Col. Juma Doka (May 73-July 75-).[116][117]

Events. The unit participated in the September 1972 fighting.[118]

The Marines

Name. The formal name is uncertain. On the upper sleeves of their no. 2 uniforms they wore titles reading "Uganda Army Marines". Southall calls them the “Bugolobi Marine Brigade”[119] but they’re otherwise described as a regiment.

History. I first encounter this unit in descriptions of the Arube affair (March 1974), where it seems to have played an important role in suppressing the attempted coup. What it was doing before then, I don't know. It seems not to have existed in c. late 1972.[120] The 1978 Defence and Foreign Affairs Handbook, which is probably not a great source, has the unit raised in 1973, which certainly fits the other evidence.[121] January 1978 footage has Amin presenting a colour to this unit, which might imply some sort of recent expansion – the earliest appearance of their blue dress uniform seems to have been around this date also. That this unit was commanded by officers more senior to the typical lieutenant-colonel perhaps implies it was larger than just a single battalion. A very late (February 1979) broadcast refers to the “Tanks Regiment of the Marines”[122] – the Marines are known to have possessed a company of OT-64s,[123] which might be the intended reference – by this point, official communications were unreal and bombastic, and the idea of an APC company being blown up to a “tank regiment” for propaganda effect feels plausible. 

Garrison. Bugoloobi, in Kampala.

Commanding officers. Lt-Col. Ibrahim (Jan 74-).[124] Col. Sahuni (-Jul 75-).[125] Brigadier Taban (-Sep 78-Nov 78-).[126][127]

Airborne Regiment (aka the Paratroops Unit, etc., aka the 2nd Paratrooper Battalion[128])

Name. “Airborne Regiment” is used in a Ugandan newspaper article of 1972.[129] “2nd Paratrooper Battalion” was also used officially.[130] This of course prompts the question of where the 1st battalion (never attested, to my knowledge) was. Unless perhaps “2nd” was used for some other purpose, e.g. to indicate an organisational relationship with the 2nd Infantry Brigade, or some such.

History. Raised September 1969.[131]

Events. The unit participated in the September 1972 fighting.[132]

Garrison. Fort Portal (by May 1973).[133]

Commanding officers. Lt-Col. John Ona (-Sep 72-May 73-).[134] Lt-Col. Yerukamu (Jan 74-).[135]

A second Airborne battalion

State radio announced the formation of a “new full airborne battalion” (in Kampala) on 12 November 1974. I have no further details.[136]

Infantry School

Location. Jinja.[137]

Commanding officers. Lt-Col. ?Muyinda (Jan 74-).[138]

Paratrooper School

History. First seen by me in June 1973.[139] This probably wasn’t a “unit” in a meaningful sense, but it’s often mentioned, and makes a memorable appearance in Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait.

Location. Fort Portal.[140]

Commanding officers. Lt-Col. Onna (-Dec 73-).[141] Lt-Col. Sahuni (-Nov 74-).[142]

Commando Battalion

History. First seen by me in June 1973.[143]

Striking Force

The 21 September 1978 instalment of the Voice of Uganda deliriously describes a hitherto unknown unit, the “Striking Force”. Six battalions, all based at Ngoma training camp, “whose purpose is to fight in any part of Africa.” The entire Force is commanded by one Lt. Guya – “which has shown that a Ugandan lieutenant can do the work of a general”, Amin is quoted as saying. Of course this is all a lurid fantasy, but perhaps such a unit did exist on paper.

Military Police

History. Raised 1 January 1967.[144] In 1973 it was commanded by a colonel and seems to have been referred to as a “brigade”.[145] Individual posts seem to have been commanded by majors[146] down to lieutenants[147]

Headquarters. Makineye, Kampala (by November 1973).[148]

Commanding officers. Col. Ozo (-Aug 1973-)[149]. Col. Hussein Malera (-Dec 73).[150]

Border Guards Unit

History. Raised September 1969.[151] Subsequent history unclear.

Headquarters. Gulu (September 1969).[152]

Commanding Officers. Lt-Col. Aboma Ayumu (-Jan 71).[153]

Army Ordnance Depot

History. Formed 1 July 1965.[154] I had assumed this was simply some sort of location and associated arrangements, as the name suggests, but it seems to have in fact been a discrete unit of sorts.[155]

Location. Magamaga.[156]

Commanding Officers. Lt-Col. John Ebitu (-Jan 71).[157] Brigadier [Mah…a] (-Mar 74-).[158]

Army Records Office

History. Formed 1 July 1965.[159]

Army Pay and Pensions Office

History. Formed 1 July 1965.[160]

The frogmen

These men can be seen, somewhat incongruously, bringing up the rear in a January 1975 military parade. The Jinja fire brigade apparently had a frogmen unit, who may be the men in question.[161]

1st Infantry Brigade

History. Formed August 1968.[162]

Headquarters. Mbale (August 1968).[163]

Constituent units. In mid-1972 this contained the 1st and 2nd Infantry Battalions.[164] A notice elsewhere (relating to January 1972) suggests it also contained the Air and Seaborne Battalion.[165] Any later developments are unclear to me.

Commanding officers. Col. Mesuera Arach (early?).[166] Lt-Col. Ndahendekire (-Jan. 72-).[167] Col. Ozo (May 73-Dec 73-).[168][169] Col. Mustapha (Jan 74-).[170] Lt-Col. Abdalla Tiff aka Abdul Latif aka Abdulatif Tiyua (-Sep 78-Nov 78-).[171][172]

2nd Infantry Brigade

Later, the Simba Mechanised Brigade

History. Formed August 1968.[173] Re-named and re-organised as the “Simba Mechanised Brigade” in May 1973.[174]

Headquarters. Nakasero (August 1968).[175] In May 1973 it was moved to Masaka.[176]

Constituent units. At c. the start of 1973 this contained the 3rd and 4th Infantry Battalions.[177] Upon its reorganisation as the Simba Mechanised Brigade in May 1973, the 2nd Simba Mechanised Battalion (the future Suicide Mechanised Regiment) was added.[178] I don’t know if the 3rd Infantry Battalion left the brigade or not at this point.

Commanding Officers. Col. Ali (May 73-).[179]

Two mechanised brigades

Quoting from the state radio, 27 April 1974: “President Amin announced the formation of two mechanised brigades, composed of six battalions. Five of the battalions have been fully equipped. One of the five battalions has been equipped with Russian mechanised arms, whereas the other four have been equipped with weapons from other countries”.[180] I’m doubtful that much, if any, of this is accurate. However, to take it at face value, of the two brigades, one is presumably the (already-existing) Simba Mechanised Brigade. The identity of the other is unclear. The Soviet-armed battalion is probably whichever one (Simba or Suicide) got the T-55s.

Western Brigade

History. Was in existence by October 1977.[181]

Commanding Officers, Brigadier Yorakam Tizihwayo (-Sep 78-Nov 78-).[182][183]

Southern Command

History. Attested in November 1978. Possibly this was the formal name of the overall Ugandan presence in the Tanzanian border area.[184]

The unit codes on vehicle registrations

I might appropriately put this here, I think.

In the Cooper & Fontanellaz book, they state that the first two digits of the vehicle number plates correspond to the number of the unit. This certainly appears to be true some of the time — the unit which (from other evidence) we know to be the (5th) Malire Regiment seems to use “05 UA” plates in the footage, at least sometimes.

I offer some qualifications, however:

·         I have never seen 01-04 UA in photographs or footage.

·         At the other end of the scale, the “original numbering sequence” only goes up to 5, the Malire Regiment. Meanwhile, we seem to have a second numbering sequence, 1-2, within the Simba Mechanised Brigade (see above). All other units seem to have been un-numbered, except for the “2nd Paratrooper Battalion”. Meanwhile, the numbers seen on vehicle registrations go up to at least 25. So, presumably, after 05 UA, the system for assigning codes to units cannot have been “linear”.

·         Different pieces of footage show a Land Rover with towed howitzer, and a military police Toyota, both with 09 UA plates. This would seem to suggest that a single code could be used by more than one unit, unless 09 UA was the “miscellaneous and other” code, or some such.

Rather difficult to know what to make of this. I am sure there was a system here, but on the evidence available I can’t reconstruct it. Most importantly, I don’t think there’s any prospect of success in trying to use the codes seen in the source material as a basis for identifying the units seen using those codes.

For reference, the codes I believe I’ve seen are:

·         05UA (Malire Regiment)

·         06UA (jeeps, and possibly some Malire Regiment vehicles)

·         07UA (jeeps, SKOTs with black diamond insignia)

·         08UA (jeeps always(?) driven by Amin himself)

·         09UA (Land Rover with towed howitzer, military police Toyota)

·         14UA (BTR-152s of the 1st Simba Regiment)

·         24UA (a Mercedes-Benz belonging to Brigadier Tizihwayo, sometime commander of the Western Brigade)

·         25UA (a jeep)

5 March 2023

Addenda.

This is a clunky page to edit because of all the footnotes, so for the moment I’ll put my edits down here.

Having seen a sharper copy of Idi Amin Dada Autoportrait, it appears that the Malire Regiment vehicles seen there used 05UA number plates, except for one jeep which used 08UA (not 06UA as I had read it). This doesn’t mean anything in itself, but it’s more evidence that the number plate prefixes, on their own, aren’t necessarily very useful in attributing vehicles to units. My best guess is that the prefixes were, perhaps, always correct at the time they were first assigned to a vehicle, but they weren’t changed if the vehicle moved to a different unit. E.g., the original owner of the 08UA Malire Regiment jeep was whatever unit had 08UA as its code, and this was retained even after “Unit 08UA” transferred the vehicle to the Malire Regiment.

Footnotes.

[1] Kyemba, 137.

[2] Cooper & Fontanellaz, 18.

[3] Cooper & Fontanellaz, 18.

[4] Cooper & Fontanellaz, 24.

[5] SWB 08.03.1974 (for 06.03.1974). Elsewhere, SWB 13.07.1974 mentions Amin visiting this unit’s tanks – the type not specified, but the confirmation it had tanks (or, at least, something the state radio thought it could plausibly describe as “tanks”) is notable.

[6] SWB 13.07.1974.

[7] Cooper & Fontanellaz, 22.

[8] Cooper & Fontanellaz, 15.

[9] SWB 18.12.1974.

[10] SWB 04.03.1974.

[11] Voice of Uganda, 14 July 1975.

[12] ICJ 1974, 55.

[13] SWB 18.12.1974.

[14] Kyemba, 23.

[15] Omara-Otunnu, 28.

[16] ICJ 1974, 55.

[17] Omara-Otunnu, xvii.

[18] FBIS, 22.11.1978.

[19] Lowman, 40.

[20] Omara-Otunnu, xvii.

[21] ICJ 1974, 55.

[22] CIDPU 1974, 420.

[23] 1st Gonda Regiment. FBIS, 22.11.1978.

[24] Omara-Otunnu, xviii.

[25] Defence and Foreign Affairs Handbook of 1978, 527.

[26] FBIS 14.11.1978.

[27] Uganda Argus 1972 archive, 171.

[28] Lowman, 169.

[29] ICJ 1974, 55.

[30] SWB 05.02.1974 (for 02.02.1974).

[31] 1st Tiger Regiment. FBIS 14.11.1978.

[32] FBIS, 19.03.1979.

[33] 1973KAMPAL01195.

[34] E.g. Summary of World Broadcasts 4412–4487 at 286 quotes “the 1st and 2nd Simba Mechanised Battalions” (November 1973).

[35] Omara-Otunnu, xviii.

[36] 1973KAMPAL01195.

[37] https://www.independent.co.ug/state-updf-barracks/

[38] Kyemba, 23.

[39] Uganda Argus 1972 archive, 171.

[40] CIDPU 1974, 647.

[41] Kyemba, 23.

[42] CIDPU 1974, 78.

[43] SWB 22.05.1974. “Baker” as read – I’m unclear if this is meant to be Juma Adeke or Juma Butabika.

[44] Voice of Uganda, 15 August 1975.

[45] Voice of Uganda, 29 September 1978.

[46] FBIS, 16.11.1978.

[47] FBIS, 19.03.1979.

[48] “Footage discovered…”

[49] Translations 1310-1321, 117.

[50] SWB 05.02.1974 (for 03.02.1974).

[51] Kyemba, 91.

[52] Translations 1310-1321, 117.

[53] SWB 08.03.1974 (for 06.03.1974). Elsewhere, SWB 13.07.1974 mentions Amin visiting this unit’s tanks – the type not specified, but the confirmation it had tanks (or, at least, something the state radio thought it could plausibly describe as “tanks”) is notable.

[54] Cooper & Fontanellaz, 50.

[55] https://www.independent.co.ug/state-updf-barracks/

[56] Summary of World Broadcasts, 8.

[57] Translations 1310-1321, 117.

[58] SWB 05.02.1974 (for 03.02.1974).

[59] SWB 09.12.1974 (for 06.12.1974).

[60] FBIS, 16.11.1978.

[61] FBIS, 28.02.1979.

[62] https://newsday.co.ug/2022/05/23/operationalise-regional-govts-as-we-commemorate-the-1966-lubiri-invasion/

[63] 1978BONN08787.

[64] Voice of Uganda, 3 October 1978.

[65] Omara-Otunnu, 81.

[66] Omara-Otunnu, 72. This passage is somewhat unclear.

[67] Omara-Otunnu, 151.

[68] ICJ 1974, 55.

[69] ICJ 1974, 55.

[70] Kyemba, 23. Not all officers were of this regiment – the commanding officers of several others were murdered during this incident as well. See ICJ 1974, 55.

[71] Uganda Argus 1972 archive, 171.

[72] Lowman, 123.

[73] Southall, 630.

[74] SWB 02.04.1974.

[75] [SWB]

[76] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mafuta_Mingi

[77] Omara-Otunnu, 81.

[78] North of Kampala. Not to be confused with Bondo, near the border with Zaire. Cf. 1978BONN08787.

[79] 1978BONN08787.

[80] ICJ 1974, 55.

[81] [SWB]

[82] ICJ 1974, 55.

[83] SWB 02.01.1974 (for 31.12.1973).

[84] SWB Feb 74, 5.

[85] 1978BONN08787.

[86] Voice of Uganda, 21 September 1978.

[87] FBIS 14.11.1978.

[88] Translations 1802-1811, 60.

[89] From its non-appearance in the list of units in Uganda Argus 1972 archive, 171, though this list need not be complete of course.

[90] Translations 1802-1811, 60.

[91] ICJ 1974, 55.

[92] Voice of Uganda, 19 August 1975.

[93] SWB 03.01.1974 (for 01.01.1974).

[94] SWB 03.01.1974 (for 01.01.1974).

[95] Voice of Uganda, 19 August 1975.

[96] SWB 18.12.1974.

[97] https://web.archive.org/web/20170301170648/https://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/PeoplePower/Life-as-an-Amin-army-commander/689844-3828170-93o55rz/index.html

[98] SWB 18.12.1974.

[99] Lowman, 169.

[100] https://web.archive.org/web/20170301170648/https://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/PeoplePower/Life-as-an-Amin-army-commander/689844-3828170-93o55rz/index.html

[101] Uganda Argus 1972 archive, 171.

[102] Uganda Argus 1972 archive, 171.

[103] Voice of Uganda, 15 August 1975.

[104] ICJ 1974, 55.

[105] FBIS, 27.11.1978.

[106] Omara-Otunnu, 72.

[107] Omara-Otunnu, 60.

[108] Omara-Otunnu, xviii.

[109] Omara-Otunnu, 71.

[110] Uganda Argus 1972 archive, 171.

[111] KAMPAL 01612 111618 Z.

[112] CIDPU 1974, 42.

[113] CIDPU 1974, 42.

[114] CIDPU 1974, 283.

[115] CIDPU 1974, 43.

[116] Translations 1310-1321, 117.

[117] Voice of Uganda, 2 July 1975. The 5 July issue (i.e., three days later) refers to “Major-General Mustafa, commanding officer of the Air and Seaborne Regiment”, which is unaccountable.

[118] Uganda Argus 1972 archive, 171.

[119] Southall, 630.

[120] From its non-appearance in the list of units in Uganda Argus 1972 archive, 171, though this list need not be complete of course.

[121] Defence and Foreign Affairs Handbook of 1978, 527.

[122] FBIS, 02.02.1979.

[123] Cooper & Fontanellaz, 23.

[124] SWB 03.01.1974 (for 01.01.1974).

[125] Voice of Uganda, 5 July 1975.

[126] Voice of Uganda, 30 September 1978.

[127] FBIS, 07.12.1978.

[128] For the last, Translations 1310-1321, 117.

[129] Uganda Argus 1972 archive, 171.

[130] e.g. Translations 1310-1321, 117.

[131] Omara-Otunnu, 81.

[132] Uganda Argus 1972 archive, 171.

[133] Translations 1310-1321, 117.

[134] Translations 1310-1321, 117, CIDPU 1974, 85.

[135] SWB 03.01.1974 (for 01.01.1974).

[136] SWB 14.11.1974 (for 12.11.1974).

[137] Per a class photo I saw on Facebook somewhere.

[138] SWB 03.01.1974 (for 01.01.1974).

[139] KAMPAL 01759 231535 Z.

[140] SWB 02.01.1974 (for 31.12.1973).

[141] SWB 02.01.1974 (for 31.12.1973).

[142] SWB 14.11.1973 (for 12.11.1974).

[143] KAMPAL 01759 231535 Z.

[144] Omara-Otunnu, 79.

[145] CIDPU 1974, 23.

[146] e.g. CIDPU 1974, 71.

[147] Voice of Uganda, 21 September 1978.

[148] Summary of World Broadcasts 4412–4487, 381.

[149] CIDPU 1974, 23.

[150] SWB 03.01.1974 (for 01.01.1974).

[151] Omara-Otunnu, 81.

[152] Omara-Otunnu, 81.

[153] ICJ 1974, 55.

[154] Omara-Otunnu, 72.

[155] Voice of Uganda, 14 August 1975.

[156] ICJ 1974, 55.

[157] ICJ 1974, 55.

[158] SWB 08.03.1974 (for 06.03.1974).

[159] Omara-Otunnu, 72.

[160] Omara-Otunnu, 72.

[161] Voice of Uganda, 15 August 1975.

[162] Omara-Otunnu, 81.

[163] Omara-Otunnu, 81.

[164] The 1st is stated nowhere but I think it’s an unavoidable inference. For the 2nd, Summary of World Broadcasts: Non-Arab Africa 1972, 3.

[165] CIDPU 1974, 43.

[166] ICJ 1974, 55.

[167] CIDPU 1974, 43.

[168] Translations 1310-1321, 117.

[169] SWB 02.01.1974 (for 31.12.1973).

[170] SWB 03.01.1974 (for 01.01.1974).

[171] Voice of Uganda, 11 September 1978.

[172] FBIS, 22.11.1978.

[173] Omara-Otunnu, 81.

[174] Translations 1310-1321, 117.

[175] Omara-Otunnu, 81.

[176] Translations 1310-1321, 117.

[177] For the 3rd, KAMPAL 01121 271836 Z. The 4th can be inferred from later developments.

[178] Translations 1310-1321, 117.

[179] Translations 1310-1321, 117.

[180] SWB 28.04.1974 (for 27.04.1974). The odd phrasing about the national origins of the weapons is Amin responding to a recent insinuation the USSR was his sole supplier.

[181] Omara-Otunnu, 140.

[182] Voice of Uganda, 11 September 1978.

[183] FBIS 16.11.1978.

[184] FBIS 27.11.1978.