West Nile mourns Maj Gen Bamuze

ARUA. Arua resident district commissioner Mr Peter Debele has attributed the current peace prevailing in the region to the fallen former commander of the Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF) II rebel group Maj Gen Ali Bamuze.
“He willingly accepted to put down his arms and make peace with the government, if it was not for him and his Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF II), we would not be enjoying the peace,” Mr Debele said.

Gen Bamuze died on Sunday evening after collapsing at J&M Airport Road Hotel where he had been attending a meeting, a family friend said, before the military confirmed the death last night.
The meeting, Ms Nabusayi said, was convened by Gen Salim Saleh on Wealth Creation and a number of senior military officers attended.
According to Mr Debele, however, the country will miss the general’s elderly advice and wise council.
In his condolence message, Aringa MP Mr Manua Acile said the Army had lost a very strong pillar.

“In Gen Bamuze the country has lost a gallant son, in him we have lost a hero at a time when we have very few of our own in the military hierarchy. He was a calm and disciplines officer who has been serving this country we but God has his own ways” Acile said.
Second Deputy Prime Minister Moses Ali, who has worked closely with Bamuze for 47 years, as senior leaders of two different rebel groups and a couple of government armies, said the late was a “very brilliant and confident battle commander. This is a big loss.”

Bamuze was Gen Ali’s instructor in Moroto when the latter enlisted in the military in 1968, and eventually became the Chief of Staff of the Moses Ali-led Uganda National Rescue Front I rebels, the precursor to UNRF II.
UNRF I surrendered to the National Resistance Army (now UPDF) in December 1986, and its 1,200-strong 73rd battalion was integrated into the army.

Gen Ali was later arrested on treason charges, prompting Bamuze to escape to the Democratic Republic of Congo, before relocating to found UNRF II rebel group.
Correction
In our story earlier, we indicated that Maj Gen Bamuze collapsed and died at statehouse, while it is true he collapsed and died, he was not anywhere near statehouse. We regret for the misinformation and any inconveniences caused.