On 10 October 1982, Ugandan President Milton Obote made the controversial decision to expel approximately 80,000 Rwandan refugees from Uganda. This decision was part of a broader political shift and marked a significant moment in the complex refugee dynamics between Uganda and Rwanda.
On 10 October 1982, President Milton Obote of Uganda ordered the expulsion of around 80,000 Rwandan refugees who had been living in Uganda since the early 1960s. The refugees were primarily from the Tutsi ethnic group who had fled Rwanda during and after the 1960s as a result of ethnic tensions and the subsequent rise of the Hutu-led government.
This expulsion was a politically charged event, occurring within a period of growing tensions between Uganda and Rwanda, and amidst a broader shift in Ugandan internal politics. Obote’s government, which had come to power in 1966 and then been overthrown in 1971, had a complicated relationship with the refugees and their descendants, many of whom had become integrated into Ugandan society by this time.
Key Points:
- 80,000 Rwandan refugees were expelled from Uganda on 10 October 1982, a significant political decision with long-lasting effects.
- The refugees, primarily Tutsi individuals who had fled Rwanda in the 1960s, faced immediate hardships, including being displaced back into Rwanda.
- The expulsion occurred amidst Uganda’s internal political shifts, as President Milton Obote sought to consolidate power and address political instability.
- The event contributed to the strained relations between Uganda and Rwanda, as the Rwandan government viewed the expulsion as both an act of aggression and a destabilizing factor in the region.
- Many of the expelled refugees faced significant difficulties upon their return to Rwanda, contributing to the continued refugee crisis and tensions that would later play a role in the Rwandan Civil War.
The forced expulsion of these refugees from Uganda not only had a humanitarian impact but also set the stage for further instability in the Great Lakes region of Africa, highlighting the complex dynamics between neighboring countries during this period. The returning refugees faced harsh conditions and struggled to reintegrate into a Rwanda that was in the midst of political and social upheaval.