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REPUBLIC OF UGANDA
Official name: Republic of Uganda
Location: East Africa
International organisations: The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, The African Union,
The Commonwealth of Nations, The Non-Aligned Movement, The Organisation of Islamic Conference, The United Nations,
The World Trade Organisation
Borders: Congo (Democratic Republic), Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania
Coastline: None
Land area: 236,000 Km2
Population: 24,700,000
Ethnicity: Uganda's people belong to a very large number of ethnic/linguistic
groups, of which the largest are the Baganda 17%, Ankole 8%, Basoga 8%, Iteso 8%,
Bakiga 7%, and Langi 6%
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Languages: The multitude of African languages spoken in Uganda makes English, the
official language, the essential language of government, media and business.
Religion: Christian 66% (Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%), Moslem 16%,
indigenous beliefs 18%
Form of government: Semi-democratic presidential republic. Uganda is divided into 56 districts.
Capital: Kampala
Constitution: The Constitution
of Uganda came into effect on 8 October 1995.
Head of state: The President, elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year
term.
Head of government: The Prime Minister, appointed by the President.
Legislature: The National Parliament
has 292 members, of whom 214 members are elected from single-member constituencies
and 78 members are elected to represent special interest groups including women, youth and
the Army.
Electoral authority: The Interim Electoral Commission administers national elections.
Freedom House rating:
Political Rights 6, Civil Liberties 4
(Freedom House noted that Uganda's civil liberties rating has improved since 2001.)
Political history
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The powerful Kingdom of Buganda controlled most of what is now Uganda from the 17th
century until the arrival of the British in the 19th century. The King of Buganda, a
Moslem, persecuted Christian missionaries, leading to British intervention and the
annexation of the area in 1893. The King continued to be a powerful force in Ugandan politics
under British rule, but the nationalist movement which developed in the 1950s was led
by republicans such as Milton Obote, who became Prime Minister in 1962.
After independence conflict between the King and the government continued. In 1966
Obote made Uganda a republic, abolished Buganda and other kingdoms, and created a one-party
state led by his Uganda People's Congress. Economic difficulties undermined Obote's
popularity and in 1971 he was deposed by the army. The army commander, General Idi Amin,
established one of Africa's most notoriously brutal dictatorships.
The Amin regime ruined Uganda's economy through corruption and by expelling the
Indian business community. In 1979 a rebel army backed by Tanzania overthrew Amin and
there were hopes for the restoration of democracy, or at least civic order. Elections
in 1980 restored Obote to power, but his rule was soon once more unpopular and he was
forced to resign in 1985. In 1986 Yoweri Musevani's National Resistance Army captured
the capital, and Museveni has ruled Uganda since.
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Under Museveni press freedom and limited rights of political activity have been
established, but the National Resistance Movement monopolises political life. Opposition
parties such as the conservative
Democratic Party and the
socialist
Uganda People's Congress operate fairly
freely. In fairness to Musaveni it must be said
that Uganda has made great economic progress under his rule and that he continues to
face insurgencies by violent religious fundamentalists (backed by Sudan) in the north. Museveni has been re-elected three times in
reasonably fair elections.
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