List of wars involving Uganda

The following is a list of wars involving Uganda.

Conflict Combatant 1 Combatant 2 Results President Ugandan
losses
Rwenzururu Uprising
(1962–1982)
Uganda Rwenzururu Movement Victory
  • Peace treaty signed in 1982
Unknown
Simba Rebellion
(1963–1965)

Simba rebels

  • Gbenye-Olenga faction
  • Soumialot faction
  • Kabila-Massengo faction

Rwandan exile groups
Uganda
Sudan

Democratic Republic of the Congoa.
Belgium
United States
Anyanya
Banyamulenge militias (1965)

Democratic Republic of the Congo Government victory
Unknown
First Sudanese Civil War
(1965–1972)
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
(1955–1956)
Republic of the Sudan
(1956–1969)
Democratic Republic of the Sudan
(1969–1972)
Combat support:
Uganda
(Joint operations on Ugandan territory, 1965–1969)
Libyan Arab Republic
(From 1969 and combat involvement at least in 1970)
Non-combat support:
United Arab Republic
Soviet Union
United Kingdom
China
Yugoslavia
East Germany
Czechoslovakia
Saudi Arabia
Kingdom of Libya (until 1969)
Algeria
United States
West Germany
SDF mutineers, bandits, and unaffiliated separatist militias
ALF (1965–1970)
Anyanya (from 1963)
Israel (from 1969)
Supported by:
Ethiopia
Uganda (from about 1970)
Congo-Léopoldville
Kenya
France
Stalemate
Unknown
Mengo Crisis
(1966)
Uganda (Obote loyalists) Buganda (Mutesa II loyalists) Regime change
200+
1972 invasion of Uganda
(1972)
 Uganda
 Libya
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
Ugandan rebels
  • People's Army
  • UPC supporters

Tanzania

Ugandan government victory
Unknown
Arube uprising
(1974)
Ugandan government Putschists Government victory
  • Purge in the Uganda Army
  • Several concessions are made to coup sympathizers, including the appointment of Mustafa Adrisi as army chief of staff
100+
Operation Entebbe
(1976)
PFLP–EO
Revolutionary Cells
Uganda
Israel
Supported by:
Kenya
Israeli victory
  • 102 of 106 hostages rescued
  • ~25% of Uganda's military aircraft destroyed
  • 102 of 106 hostages rescued
45
Uganda–Tanzania War
(1978–1979)
 Uganda
 Libya
 Palestine Liberation Organization
Supported by:
Pakistan
Saudi Arabia
Tanzania
 Uganda National Liberation Front Mozambique
Supported by:
Zambia
 Angola
 Ethiopia
Algeria
~1,650
Ugandan Bush War
(1980–1986)
Ugandan government

Tanzania (until 1985)
North Korea (1981–1985)
Zaire (1986, alleged)

National Resistance Movement (NRM)

West Nile rebels:

  • Uganda Army (1980)
  • UNRF (I) (1980–85)
  • FUNA (1980–85)
  • Nile Regiment

UFM (1980–83)
FEDEMU (1983–85)
ULM
UNLF-AD


Rwenzururu movement (until 1982)
Karamojong groups

NRM victory
~100,000–
500,000
Kenyan–Ugandan border conflict Uganda
Mwakenya Movement
Kenya
NOM
Return to the status quo ante bellum
War in Uganda (1986–1994) Uganda (NRM government)

Supported by:
North Korea

UPDA
UPA
HSM (Auma)
HSM (Lukoya)
HSM (Ojuk)
UUGM
HSM (Kony), UHSA, UPDCA, LA, LRA
FOBA
NALU
WNBF
FUNA
UNDA, UFA
NOM
Tablighi Jamaat militants (including UMFF)
Supported by:
Zaire (only western rebels)
Kenya
Sudan
Ugandan government mostly suppresses rebel activity
  • UPDA, HSM, UPA, FOBA and UNDA mostly or completely defeated
  • Some rebel groups, including the LRA, continue their insurgencies
High civilian losses
LRA Insurgency
(1987–)
Uganda
Zaire (until 1997)
DR Congo (from 1997)
Central African Republic (from 2008)
South Sudan
 Arrow Boys
 UFDR
MONUC
Russia (since April 2024)

Supported by:
United States
(2011–2017) North Korea(until 1990s)

Lord's Resistance Army
Supported by:
Sudan (1994–2002)
Allied Democratic Forces
Ongoing (Low-level)
  • Founder and leader of the LRA Joseph Kony goes into hiding
  • Senior LRA commander Dominic Ongwen surrenders to American forces in the Central African Republic and is tried at the Hague
  • Majority of LRA installations and encampments located in South Sudan and Uganda abandoned and dismantled
  • Small scale LRA activity continues in eastern DR Congo, and the Central African Republic
65,000+
Second Sudanese Civil War
(1993–2005)
SPLA

SSLM
NDA
Sudanese Alliance Forces
Anyanya II
Eastern Coalition
FDR Ethiopia (1995–1998)
Eritrea (1996–1998, 2002–2005)
Uganda (from 1993)
Non-combat aid:
Libya (1983–1985)
Israel
Cuba (until 1991)

Sudan

SSDF
SPLA dissidents

Nuer White Army
Ugandan insurgents:

Zaire (1994–1997)
al-Qaeda (1991–1996)
Iraq
China


Combat aid:
DR Congo (1998–2003)
Non-combat aid:
Iran
Belarus (from 1996)
Stalemate
Unknown
ADF Insurgency
(1996–)
Uganda

DR Congo

MONUSCO

ADF (1996–2015)

ISIL

ADF-Mukulu

RCD/K-ML

  • APC

Mai-Mai Kyandenga (2020–present)
Supported by: FARDC elements
LRA
Al-Shabaab (disputed)
Various Jihadi groups (Ugandan and MONUSCO claim)
Sudan (1990s; currently unknown)

Ongoing
Unknown
First Congo War
(1996–1997)
AFDL
Rwanda
Uganda
Burundi
Angola
SPLA
Eritrea
Supported by:
South Africa
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Ethiopia
Tanzania
United States (covertly)

Mai-Mai

Zaire

Sudan
Chad
Ex-FAR/ALiR
Interahamwe
CNDD-FDD
UNITA
ADF
FLNC
Supported by:
France
Central African Republic
China
Israel
Kuwait (denied)


Mai-Mai

AFDL victory
Unknown
Second Congo War
(1998–2002)
Military stalemate
Unknown
Six-Day War
(2000)
Uganda Rwanda UN-brokered ceasefire
  • Rwanda maintains control over Simsimi Airport
  • Uganda asked by the UN to withdraw north to Bafasende
  • Capture of Ugandan senior officers, in contravention of the ceasefire
~2,000
Somali Civil War
(2007–)
2007–2009:
Insurgency:
IGASOM

UNPOS


2009–present:
AUSSOM (2025–present)
Non-combat support:

UNPOS (1995–2013) UNTMIS (2025–present)
UNSOA (2009–2016)
UNSOS (2016–present)
Independent regional forces

2007–2009:
Insurgency:

Al-Shabaab
ICU loyalists
Hizbul Islam
Ras Kamboni Brigades
Jabhatul Islamiya
Muaskar Anole
ARS


2007–2009:
Somaliland


2009–present:

Hizbul Islam (until 2010; 2012–2013)

Alleged state allies:
Eritrea

Alleged non-state allies:
Houthis
Somali pirates


Allies
IS-YP
Somali pirates


2009–present:
Ongoing
110–
2,700+
South Sudanese Civil War
(2013–2015)
South Sudan

Allied militias:
SSLM
SRF

EUPF (alleged)
State allies:
Uganda
Egypt (alleged)

UNMISS

SPLM-IO
Nuer White Army

TFNF
SSFDP
South Sudan National Army
NAS
Wau State insurgents
SSOA
SSOMA/NSSSOG
Supported by:
Sudan (South Sudanese gov. claim)

Stalemate
  • Uganda withdrawals from conflict
  • IGAD-negotiated settlement fails
Unknown
Kasese clashes
(2016)
Uganda Rwenzururu Ugandan victory
16