Eastern Uganda campaign of 1979
The Eastern Uganda campaign of 1979 was a military operation by Tanzanian forces and allied Ugandan rebels, most importantly the Uganda National Liberation Army, against Uganda Army (UA) troops loyal to Idi Amin during the Uganda–Tanzania War. The operation was launched by the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) on 15 April 1979 to secure eastern Uganda and oust UA remnants which were still active in the area. The TPDF mainly targeted the important towns of Jinja, Mbale, Tororo, Soroti, and Moroto. It encountered only sporadic resistance, as most UA soldiers focused on fleeing with loot instead of resisting, and successfully secured most of eastern Uganda. In the northeast, the collapse of the Uganda Army resulted in local Karamojong groups seizing much weaponry which would result in long-lasting security issues.
| Eastern Uganda campaign | |||||||||
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| Part of the Uganda–Tanzania War | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Tanzania Uganda National Liberation Front Uganda Army renegades Karamojong groups | Uganda | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Mwita Marwa Salim Hassan Boma Ben Msuya L.G. Sandys Dick Mwandetelle (WIA) Malinga | Unknown | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
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208th Brigade
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Eagle Colonel Gaddafi Battalion Eastern Brigade | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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4,000 UNLA: 1,000 Mbale defectors: 250 | Unknown | ||||||||