[8] The NRA was primarily composed of members of the country's southern tribes who opposed President Obote's rule, including from the Nkole and Kigezi.

[10] Following the death of General Oyite Ojok in December 1982,[11] a unifying figure within the army, ethnic tensions escalated, particularly between the Acholi and Lango tribes.

[12] Discontent within Acholi ranks, which had already been simmering due to perceived marginalization and unfair treatment, were further fueled when Obote appointed a Lango as General Ojok's successor, Brigadier Smith Opon Acak, which also angered the Acholi-dominated officer corps.

[11][12] His attempts to quell dissent among the officers, including surveillance and formation of a predominantly Langi paramilitary force, proved ineffective and only served to exacerbate tensions.

In an attempt to finally defeat the group, the UNLA high command ordered Lieutenant Colonel John Charles Ogole to oversee anti-NRA operations.

[19] Odwar termed the clash a "catastrophe";[20] historians Tom Cooper and Adrien Fontanellaz argued that the Special Brigade's defeat "delivered a massive psychological blow to the entire UNLA".

[15][24] The coup attempt was initially plotted by senior Acholi officers who felt sidelined in the army, discussing their plans through meetings held in places such as the Kampala Club and Apollo Hotel.

[25] In the lead-up to the coup, Brigadier Basilio recruited militias under the guise of fighting Karamojong cattle rustlers, integrating many Acholi youths into the army.

Under the pretext of addressing cattle rustling, his forces, including the northern army brigade he commanded,[26] moved towards the capital of Kampala, unaware of the full extent of their mission.

[26][27] Encountering little to no resistance, the troops drove to specific locations and installations, stepped out of their trucks and fired their weapons into the air, inciting panic and causing most people to flee.

[30][31] Lieutenant Ochala Walter announced the "total military coup" and end of Obote's "tribalistic rule" on Uganda radio, imploring NRA leader Yoweri Museveni to join efforts in the nation's reconstruction.

[29] The new nine-man military council,[2] headed by General Tito Okello, sought reproachment with Museveni's insurgent group and opened negotiations.