West Nile militias In the last phase of the Ugandan Bush War from January to March 1986, the National Resistance Army (NRA) conducted a military campaign to conquer northern Uganda beyond the Nile, an area still held by the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) and allied militias that had previously been loyal to the recently deposed government of Ugandan President Tito Okello.

[1] Eventually, Milton Obote assumed power in 1980 through a disputed election, and ruled through repressive methods, including the incarceration and killing of dissidents.

As the civil war dragged on for years, parts of the UNLA became increasingly dissatisfied with Obote and his policies, including favoring ethnic Langi soldiers in the military over Acholi troops.

The new regime was weak and unstable, and Okello made overtures to anti-Obote rebel groups to form a coalition government and end the fighting.

[5] In August 1985, the NRA launched a series of coordinated attacks that resulted in the capture of significant amounts of territory in central and western Uganda.

[8] That month, a peace agreement was signed by Okello's government and the NRA, but the deal broke down almost immediately as both parties violated the agreed truce.

[13] Meanwhile, President Museveni repeatedly made speeches on radio declaring that the NRM/A was committed to lawful behavior, had no intention to take revenge on northerners, and would investigate as well as limit abuses by the NRA.

[15] When the UNLA high command thus convened a meeting with elders and community leaders from Gulu and Kitgum, the civilian representatives gave their support to efforts of defending the north from the NRA.

[11] In contrast, the remaining UNLA soldiers –including many officers– declared their former leader, Tito Okello, a traitor, coward, and murderer who had appeased the NRA and then failed to contain it, resulting in their current predicament.

[21] The NRA's operations were aided by the interal chaos of the UNLA, as many soldiers suffered from low morale due to the loss of the capital and focused on fleeing with their families as well as loot instead of organizing resistance.

[24] Aided by these circumstances, the NRA's eastern force quickly seized Jinja and Tororo around late January and early February,[9][21] as the local UNLA defenders largely fled or defected.

[22][27] At this point, the UNLA high command organized a last counteroffensive, with Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Kilama's Eastern Brigade attempting to retake Tororo.

[9] This operation was partially motivated by the fact that eastern escape route of the UNLA had been blocked by Karamojong militias which had set up positions at the Awoja Bridge near Soroti.

[9] Meanwhile, the UNLA high command also opted for a "desperate move": It ordered one of its remaining helicopter gunships to bomb the Ugandan parliament building when Yoweri Museveni was sworn in as president on 29 January.

The mission was entrusted to Flight Captain Stephen Ojiambo and his co-pilot Lieutenant Andama who left Gulu in a Bell Textron military helicopter armed with a heavy machine gun and 38 missiles.

However, the helicopter crew concluded that their mission was senseless as the war was lost; furthermore, the planned attack would likely result in high civilian losses due to the large crowd gathered at the parliament building.

[9] East of Tororo, the NRA initially encountered little firm resistance as the local population had traditionally supported Obote's old government and were thus hostile toward the UNLA.

The NRA soldiers reportedly found the town heavily looted, as the UNLA troops had killed 50 civilians, engaged in rape, and stolen much before fleeing.

[29][10] Afterward, the NRA force moved into the Lira and Apac Districts, evicting local UNLA troops and eventually pausing at Aloi on 25 February.

In the Opaka forest, about 12 miles south of Gulu, a large force of new UNLA recruits armed with machetes attacked the NRA but were repelled, suffering heavy losses.

According to contemporary statements by the NRA Defense Ministry and Radio Uganda, its forces captured the town after defeating the local UNLA garrison in a battle lasting three hours on late 8 March.

[20][32] Researchers Anthony Clayton and Ondoga Ori Amaza insteasd stated that the NRA defeated a large UNLA force near Gulu in a three-day battle,[33][29] whereupon the rest of the garrison fled to Sudan via Kitgum.

By this time, the population of West Nile was no longer willing to support resistance efforts, and the local elders convinced most FUNA and UNRF forces to peacefully reconcile with Museveni's government.