[1] As the Ugandan war effort collapsed, Adrisi fled to Sudan where he claimed to retain the post of Vice President.

Mustafa Adrisi was born into the Picara clan of the Aringa ethnic group in Yumbe District, Uganda.

[5] During his early years of military service, Adrisi acquired property in Keri, Koboko District, Uganda.

[5] On 1 January 1967 the Ugandan government, in an attempt to instill discipline in the Uganda Army, created the Military Police Force and gave command of the unit to Adrisi and a second lieutenant.

[5] Adrisi was made Uganda Army chief of staff as a concession to the increasingly disgruntled Lugbara troops who had revolted during the Arube uprising in March 1974.

[14] That year a split in the Uganda Army developed between supporters of Amin and soldiers loyal to Adrisi, who held significant power in the government and wanted to purge foreigners, particularly Sudanese, from the military.

[3] Adrisi felt that foreigners were not dependent enough on the regime to support it, and would at their convenience flee back to their lands of origin.

The resulting tension in the army was further exacerbated when Adrisi got in a shootout with Colonel Taban Lupayi, the head of the marines.

[13] According to journalist George Ivan Smith, Adrisi was also involved in a purge of Langi and Acholi in 1977, during which a large number of civilians were murdered in northern Uganda.

[16] By the end of the year he also held the post of Minister of Internal Affairs,[17] having taken over the job after the death of the previous incumbent, Charles Oboth Ofumbi.

[8] Unrest grew in the military as a result of the incident, since many of Adrisi's followers believed that the car accident was a failed assassination attempt orchestrated by Amin.

When they entered the town of Koboko, the seat of the eponymous district, Adrisi fled to Kaya, Sudan with over 2,000 cattle.

The following year Ali began attacking Uganda, and the government requested that Sudanese authorities halt Adrisi's and his colleagues' activities.

He briefly fell into a coma, but after recovering and being discharged, the government permanently located him to another house in Kampala so it could monitor his health.