Uganda 1999

In 1999, Uganda had a population of around 25 million people. The economy of Uganda was heavily reliant on agriculture, with coffee being the main export crop. Foreign relations in 1999 were generally positive, with the country maintaining strong ties to its East African neighbours and to the United States. Politically, Uganda was governed by a president who had been in power since 1986 and had created a one-party state. Although there were some attempts at democratic reform during this period, they were often overruled by the president’s authoritarian rule. Human rights abuses were rampant in the country, and there was little freedom of speech or political opposition allowed. See ethnicityology for Uganda in the year of 2018.

Yearbook 1999

Uganda 1999

Uganda. Visit Countryaah official website to get information about the capital city of Uganda. A series of explosive attacks in Kampala in the spring killed at least 15 people. The attacks were believed to have been carried out by the guerrilla movement United Democratic Forces. Eight tourists from Britain, New Zealand and the United States were killed by Rwandan hutumilis near the border with Rwanda and Congo-Kinshasa, where they set out to look at mountain gorillas. In the same area, a Swedish couple was robbed of hutumilis in 1998.

  • Also see Abbreviationfinder.org to see the acronym of UGA which stands for Uganda and other definitions of this 3-letter abbreviation.

Map of Uganda Kampala in English

In August and September, around 400 civilians in northeastern Uganda were killed in a dispute over livestock between rival clans. 5,000 soldiers were deployed to stop the fighting.

Despite the continuing unrest and military involvement in Congo-Kinshasa, defense costs were reduced by 9% in the 1999-2000 budget. During the year, attempts were also made to end the fighting in the country through peace contacts with guerrilla movements. In October, 341 men who had been indicted for participating in armed insurgency against the government were acquitted. In December, Parliament passed an amnesty law that for six months guaranteed impunity for rebels who put down their weapons. An agreement with Sudan in December to stop supporting the respective countries ‘resistance movements was also expected to complicate the rebels’ activities.

The resignation of Prime Minister Kintu Musoke in April led to a major transformation of the government. Apolo Nsimbabi, former Minister of Education, was appointed new Prime Minister.

In 2009, the Ugandan military fought LRA forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. The military captured some LRA soldiers, but the LRA subsequently avenged itself by killing about 1,000 civilians in the 3 countries.

In July 2010, the Somali militia al Shabaab carried out a suicide attack in Kampala in protest of Uganda’s participation in the AMISOM force in Somalia. The bomb attacks that hit two locations in Kampala cost 76 lives and 70 were wounded. They were aimed at places where the audience attended the World Cup.

In February 2011, Museveni was re-elected president with 68% of the vote.

Inspired by the “Arab Spring”, in the first months of 2011, the opposition conducted a series of campaigns and demonstrations against the government and the high cost of living. In April, opposition leader Kizza Besigye was arrested, triggering riots in Kampala. Besigye declared that the peaceful protests would continue. During the month, 9 protesters were killed by security forces and over 100 wounded. In October, at least 27 activists were arrested and charged with high treason. The government’s response to the protests was condemned by several of Uganda’s donor countries. However, it did not apply to the United States and Britain for whom the country is important in the fight against Somalia.

In October, annual inflation reached 30.5%. Especially due to increases in the price of food and fuel.

As in Denmark, there is widespread impunity for the security forces’ assaults, so the 9 murders committed by police officers in April 2011 were neither investigated nor prosecuted.

In March 2012, the children’s organization Invisible Children posted the video “Kony 2012” on YouTube. It documented the crimes of the LRA and was seen by over 100 million people in a matter of weeks.

In July 2012, Ebola erupted in the Kibaale district. Up to October, 16 had died of the viral disease.

In April 2013, the rebel group ADF-Nula started recruiting young members in Kampala. The group was allied with al-Shabaab in Somalia and in July 2013 was fighting in the Beni district of Congo.

Freedom of the press was further curtailed during 2013. More than 50 attacks on journalists and the media were recorded in the first six months of the year alone. Two magazines, Daily Monitor and The Red Pepper, were closed by authorities. At the same time, the extent of torture and degrading treatment was increasing. 500 cases were reported during the year and the security forces’ assaults took place with complete impunity.

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