Isaac Maliyamungu
Isaac Maliyamungu, (died February 1984) also known as Isaac Lugonzo, was a Ugandan military officer who served as one of President Idi Amin's most important officials and supporters during the Ugandan military dictatorship of 1971–79. Born in the Congo, Maliyamungu was one of the members of the 1971 coup that brought Amin to power, and was thereafter responsible for brutally suppressing dissidents throughout the country. Rising in the ranks, Maliyamungu amassed great power and earned a feared reputation. He was responsible for the mass murder of civilians and soldiers suspected of being disloyal to Amin.
Isaac Maliyamungu | |
|---|---|
Isaac Maliyamungu inspecting captured Tanzanian vehicles, 1978 | |
| General Staff Officer I Grade responsible for training and operations | |
| In office 1970s–1979 | |
| President | Idi Amin |
| Personal details | |
| Died | February 1984 Democratic Republic of Sudan |
| Relations | Idi Amin |
| Nickname | "Bad omen" |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Uganda |
| Branch/service | Uganda Army (UA) |
| Years of service | 1967 – 1979 |
| Rank | Brigadier |
| Commands | VIP Protection Unit Second Infantry Battalion Simba Battalion Eagle Colonel Gaddafi Battalion |
| Battles/wars |
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As the Ugandan military dictatorship weakened and Amin's support eroded among the country's masses and elite, Maliyamungu was one of his few remaining trusted confidants. After the Uganda–Tanzania War's outbreak in 1978, Maliyamungu held important military commands, but had little success in combat against the Tanzania People's Defence Force. When the Tanzanians and their Ugandan rebel allies overthrew Amin's government in 1979, Maliyamungu fled to Zaire, where he intended to become a businessman. In the following year, he and other Uganda Army (UA) commanders assembled a rebel force with which they invaded northwestern Uganda, starting the Ugandan Bush War. Maliyamungu died of poisoning in Sudan in 1984.