"The East African nation of Uganda once served as a symbol of everything that could go wrong in post-independence Africa. Ruled by corrupt dictators and torn by ethnic violence, Uganda was a land of poverty and despair despite its rich natural resources. Since the late 1980s, however, Uganda has made a remarkable turnaround, and many people have looked to it as a model for progress in modern Africa." (Uganda, 2002)
History
The above excerpt from Africa: An Encyclopedia for Students provides a good overview of Uganda's history since gaining its independence from Britain. Before European involvement in Uganda, the country was made up of several independent, vaguely defined kingdoms, the largest of which was called Buganda and was located on the coast of Lake Victoria (2002). The first official British colonization occurred in 1890 when Britain Imperial British East Africa Company inhabited the area. This sparked a lot of fighting, as religious struggles between Christians and Muslims prevailed. Finally in 1900, the Uganda agreement was signed. This agreement split Uganda into four kingdoms under British control: Buganda, Bunyoro, Toro, and Ankole. However, Buganda received the most attention from the British, as their main intention of colonizing Uganda was to capitalize on its fertile land. This division of Uganda into separate kingdoms created "lasting rivalries." When Uganda finally gained its independence, this tension was still felt. The first political parties of Uganda were mostly centered around religion, with the Democratic party being Catholic and the Uganda People's Party being Protestant. When elections were held in 1961 following independence, the Democratic Party won (2002).
Dictatorships
Uganda's first leader after gaining independence was Milton Obote. Under Obote power became very consolidated and while progress was made in the economy and infrastructure, people were unhappy. In 1971, an army led by Idi Amin overthrew Obote, and Amin took control. Amin would become a brutal dictator, willing to kill anyone who threatened to take power from him. In 1972, he banned all Asians from Uganda, a decision that was supported by most Ugandans but ended up crippling Uganda's economy. He also targeted Christians and rival ethnic groups, not afraid to use violence and torture in support of his beliefs. He became known as the "Butcher of Uganda" as an estimated 300,000 people were killed during his reign (Britannica, 2014).
Admin was finally overthrown after a failed invasion of Tanzania left him fleeing the country. Uganda's old government with Obote in charge was restored, and it appeared a semblance of order would be found. However, this was still not the case. Obote was corrupt and ethnic violence was running rampant. In 1985 Obote was overthrown and a rebel group led by Yoweri Museveni took over the country. Museveni made efforts to create a stable government for Uganda. He felt that political parties were part of the cause for ethnic tensions, and decided to outlaw them. He also drafted a constitution and deliberated power to different positions. There were still many issues, including civil wars and fights with other countries, but with Museveni in control Uganda was headed in the right direction (2002).
Lord's Resistance Army
A terrorist group that has gained national attention is the Lord's Resistance Army. This group is spearheaded by Joseph Kony, a military leader from northern Uganda. Kony states that he is a prophet sent from God and that he wants to "purify the people of Uganda." The intention of the LRA is said to be to fight for "the establishment of a government based on the Biblical Ten Commandments." Back in 1997 they planned to overthrow the Ugandan government and rule the country under God. The LRA has abducted, raped, and killed countless civilians and enslaves children as concubines or soldiers. Their treatment of children is shocking, as they even forced children to kill others who were trying to escape (GlobalSecurity, 2013). It is very difficult to fully capture the horrors of the LRA in such a brief paragraph. This interview with a former LRA child soldier gives a more complete picture. In the year 2012, a charity campaign called "Kony 2012" gained steam in the United States, as an organization called Invisible Children attempted to raise money to stop Joseph Kony and the LRA. However, this foundation was widely criticized because it was confirmed that by the year 2005 Kony and the LRA had left Uganda and their numbers had dwindled significantly (2013).
Geography/Tourism
Uganda is known as the "Pearl of Africa" (visituganda.com). This landlocked country received this nickname because of the beautiful natural scenery and being home to over thirty indigenous tribes with rich cultures. It is bordered by Sudan to the North, Kenya to the East,Republic of Congo to the West and Tanzania and Rwanda to the South. Uganda is where the East African savannah meets the West African jungle, a unique ecological system. Lions can be found traversing the open plains and chimpanzees will be seen the the rainforest. Uganda is also home to a wide range of bird species. It is said that over 1,000 species make up the bird population in the country. Uganda's number one tourist site is the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, known for its Mountain Gorilla population and gorilla tracking. This national park reserve is home to over half of the world's mountain gorillas (Bwindi, 2015).
Uganda's Importance to the World
Historically Uganda was a leading supplier of coffee and fish as their leading exports (Bombings, 2010). Because of its proximity to the great lakes of Africa, namely Lake Victoria, the land around is rich and fertile for agriculture and the lake leads to an endless supply of fish.
In recent years oil has been discovered in Lake Albert that serves as a border with Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2006 this discovery is said to be Africa's "biggest on shore oil discovery in 20 years" (Williams, 2010). This is a significant amount of oil so countries' interest in this part of the world has piqued in recent years. This new found oil has raised worldwide interest not only in Western Nations, but China as well (Bombings, 2010).
Uganda's history of violence with the Lord's Resistance Army has basically become subdued and many countries worldwide have vested interest in keeping this area peaceful. With approximately 70-80 percent of the nation employed by the agriculture industry, this rich resource of oil will become the largest impact on the nations economy in its history (Resourcegovernance.org). Uganda has been an underdeveloped nation because of its landlocked location. With this new natural resource that has gained attention across the globe economic growth is inevitable.
In recent years oil has been discovered in Lake Albert that serves as a border with Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2006 this discovery is said to be Africa's "biggest on shore oil discovery in 20 years" (Williams, 2010). This is a significant amount of oil so countries' interest in this part of the world has piqued in recent years. This new found oil has raised worldwide interest not only in Western Nations, but China as well (Bombings, 2010).
Uganda's history of violence with the Lord's Resistance Army has basically become subdued and many countries worldwide have vested interest in keeping this area peaceful. With approximately 70-80 percent of the nation employed by the agriculture industry, this rich resource of oil will become the largest impact on the nations economy in its history (Resourcegovernance.org). Uganda has been an underdeveloped nation because of its landlocked location. With this new natural resource that has gained attention across the globe economic growth is inevitable.
Page Designed By Nick Costello
References:
"Bwindi Impenetrable Forest." Visit Uganda. Uganda Tourism Board, 2015. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
"Idi Amin | Biography - President of Uganda." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Oct. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
"Lord's Resistance Army." Global Security. N.p., 01 June 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
"Resource Governance." Uganda | Extractive Industries. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
"Uganda." Africa: An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. John Middleton. Vol. 4. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. 127-133. World History in Context. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
"Uganda Bombings..." CNN. Cable News Network, 13 July 2010. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Williams, Brandon. "Environmental Issues and Natural Resources of Uganda." Encyclopedia of Earth. N.p., 05 Apr. 2010. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Images:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bwindi_Impenetrable_National_Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Obote
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idi_Amin
References:
"Bwindi Impenetrable Forest." Visit Uganda. Uganda Tourism Board, 2015. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
"Idi Amin | Biography - President of Uganda." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Oct. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
"Lord's Resistance Army." Global Security. N.p., 01 June 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
"Resource Governance." Uganda | Extractive Industries. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
"Uganda." Africa: An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. John Middleton. Vol. 4. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. 127-133. World History in Context. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
"Uganda Bombings..." CNN. Cable News Network, 13 July 2010. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Williams, Brandon. "Environmental Issues and Natural Resources of Uganda." Encyclopedia of Earth. N.p., 05 Apr. 2010. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Images:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bwindi_Impenetrable_National_Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Obote
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idi_Amin