Juma Butabika

Early life and career

Idi Amin in 1966. Butabika reportedly convinced him at gunpoint to become President of Uganda during the 1971 Ugandan coup d'état.

Born as Juma Ali Oka Rokoni,^[4] Butabika was of Nubian^[5]–Kakwa descent,^[2] and a grandson of Kakwa paramount chief Sultan Ali Kenyi Dada as well as a relative of Idi Amin.^[2] At some point, he joined the UPDF, and rose to second lieutenant during the rule of Milton Obote.^[6] Over time, dissatisfaction grew among parts in the military about Obote's government, resulting in a conspiracy to remove him from power.^[2] 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 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 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,^[6] but then became unsure about the 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.^[2]

Thereafter, Butabika became one of leading military commanders under the new regime.^[7] He was appointed as head of the "Military Tribunal" (a newly established alternative court) in 1973,^[8] and also served as leader of "elite" units that were regarded as especially loyal to Amin. These included the so-called Chui (leopard) Regiment^[9] and the Malire Mechanised Specialist Reconnaissance Regiment, stationed at Lubiri in Kampala, by 1974.^[1][10] Butabika became notorious for his eccentric,^[9] "erratic"^[11] and excessive behavior, including extreme brutality;^[12] according to George Ivan Smith, Butabika believed to be a "demi-god" as the government allowed him to kill and torture at will.^[3] In this way, he also got the nickname by which he became best known: "Butabika" is the name of a prominent psychiatric clinic near Kampala,^[8][3][9] and a byword for people with a mental illness in Uganda.^[3]

Uganda–Tanzania War and death

By 1978, hostilities had greatly increased between Uganda and the neighboring state of Tanzania, with reports surfacing of invasion plans by the Tanzania People's Defence Force. Butabika was among the proponents of a preemptive strike against Tanzania,^[13][14] even though several other leading Ugandan officers believed that their military was not ready for a conflict with Tanzania.^[15] The situation escalated on 9 October 1978,^[10] when an altercation broke out between an 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.^[15] 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 the Lieutenant Colonel to seek revenge.^[15][11] Others however report that 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.^[10][13]

In any case, he consequently ordered an unathorized attack on Tanzania, resulting in the outbreak of the Uganda–Tanzania War. 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 UPDF detachements, Butabika occupied the entire Kagera salient until stopping at Kyaka Bridge, which was destroyed. The UPDF troops procceeded to celebrate while looting, raping and murdering in the occupied area.^[10][13][15]

The Tanzanian military quickly regrouped, causing the UPDF to retreat back into Uganda even as President Amin declared Kagera's annexation.^[15] The Tanzanians launched a large counter-offensive, and the Ugandan military soon started to disintegrate under the onslaught.^[7][4] By the time the Ugandan border town Mutukula fell to the Tanzanian army in January 1979, Butabika was back in Kamapala and prepared the celebrations for the 8th anniversary of Amin's rule. The Lieutenant Colonel took part in a parade at Kololo 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.^[14] On 9 April, the Tanzanian forces and their Ugandan allies entered Uganda's capital Kampala, encountering only light resistance. Butabika was one of the few leading Ugandan commanders who stayed in the city, and he was killed in a firefight with Tanzanian soldiers of the 205th and 208th Brigades in the Bwaise-Kawempe area as they attempted to secure the northern section of the city on 11 April.^[7][3]

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