Key Facts
- Date
- 23–24 February 1979
- Duration
- 2 days
- Ugandan garrison
- Several thousand troops, incl. Suicide Battalion
- TPDF units engaged
- 201st Brigade, 207th Brigade, 208th Brigade
- Aftermath
- Much of Masaka razed by TPDF forces
Strategic Narrative Overview
The TPDF crossed into Uganda in January 1979 and moved steadily north. Tanzanian forces encircled Masaka on three sides. On 23 February they repulsed Ugandan harassing probes and launched a concentrated artillery barrage on the Suicide Battalion's barracks. Several Ugandan units retreated to Lukaya, leaving the Suicide Battalion isolated. At dawn the 201st and 208th Brigades attacked; the 207th Brigade and a tank squadron joined from another direction. Apart from resistance at Kasijagirwa camp, the town fell quickly.
01 / The Origins
In 1971 Idi Amin seized power in Uganda and established a dictatorial regime. In 1978 he ordered Ugandan forces to invade Tanzania, occupying the Kagera Salient and committing atrocities against civilians. Tanzania repelled the incursion, and President Julius Nyerere, angered by Amin's refusal to renounce territorial claims and the international community's muted response, ordered the Tanzania People's Defence Force to advance into southern Uganda targeting Masaka and Mbarara.
03 / The Outcome
Tanzanian and Ugandan rebel forces captured Masaka on 24 February 1979 with minimal resistance after the Suicide Battalion withdrew toward Villa Maria. As reprisal for Ugandan destruction in the Kagera region, the TPDF razed much of the town. The defeat badly damaged Ugandan morale; Amin ordered a counter-attack that was defeated at Lukaya. His threats against local civilians for welcoming the invaders further prompted Nyerere to authorize an advance on Kampala. Masaka was later rebuilt.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Julius Nyerere (ordered advance).
Side B
1 belligerent
Idi Amin (ordered defence and counter-attack).
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.