Battle of Birembo
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Era | Date not recorded (no reliable year in Wikidata) | derived from year |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Uganda | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Africa | Natural Earth |
| Coordinates | -0.9200, 31.1600 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Birembo (10 January 1985) was fought between National Resistance Movement (NRM) rebels and the Ugandan government, supported by North Korean forces, during the late Ugandan Bush War. In the clash, the government forces were almost able to encircle a strong insurgent force which included the NRM chief commander, Yoweri Museveni, but ultimately could not prevent a successful rebel breakout.
The battle took place after the NRM's armed wing, the National Resistance Army (NRA), had successfully raided Kabamba and carried off important military supplies. The Ugandan government sent a strong force of Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) soldiers to pursue and destroy the NRA raiders. The UNLA force, led by John Charles Ogole, caught up with the rebels at Birembo. Aided by heavy artillery fire, the government troops launched a surprise attack and almost encircled the rebels. However, the NRA troops were able to break through and successfully retreated during the night. They continued to evaded their pursuers over the following days and reached rebel-held territories. Alongside other unsuccessful clashes, the Battle of Birembo undermined the morale of UNLA, contributing to the 1985 Ugandan coup d'état and the NRM/NRA's takeover in Uganda in 1986.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Birembo (revision 1370107902), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Mutukula 1979 · 30 km
- Battle of Kabamba · 75 km
- Battle of Bukoba 1915 · 86 km
- Battle of Masaka 1979 · 91 km
- Battle of Sembabule 1979 · 99 km
- Battle of Lukaya 1979 · 117 km
Browse more: battles in Uganda · Africa · Date not recorded battles