Godwin Sule (died 11 March 1979) was a high-ranking Sudanese-born Ugandan military officer who held important commands in the Uganda Army during the dictatorship of President Idi Amin. A native of southern Sudan, he fought as a rebel in the First Sudanese Civil War before migrating to Uganda. There he rose to command the Malire Battalion and later the Paratroopers Military School. Regarded as one of the most talented soldiers in the Uganda Army during Amin's rule, Sule was tasked with leading the last major Ugandan counter-offensive during the Uganda–Tanzania War of 1978–79. This operation culminated in the Battle of Lukaya of 10–11 March 1979, during which Sule was killed under unclear and disputed circumstances. His death resulted in the collapse of the Ugandan offensive, contributing to the eventual overthrow of Amin's regime.
Biography
Rebel activity and rise in the Uganda Army
Sule originated from southern Sudan. He was Christian as well as an ethnic Sudanese-Nubian and/or Kakwa. At some point, he joined the Anyanya rebels to fight against the Sudanese government in the First Sudanese Civil War. Sule eventually fled Sudan, and moved to Uganda, where he joined the Uganda Army, and rose in the ranks. His case was not uncommon, as many Sudanese rebels opted to join the Uganda Army instead of laying down their weapons in Sudan. President Amin regarded the ex-Anyanya troops as loyal to his government and therefore useful, although they factually acted as mercenaries.
In January 1974, Sule was promoted from major to lieutenant colonel and appointed commander of the Uganda Army's Malire Battalion. In that year, he and Air Force quartermaster Zeddy Maruru were sent to Europe by President Amin to assess the state of Uganda's embassies and the living situation of Ugandan exchange students. While there, the two heard stories of how Prince Mutebi had fought off an assassin who had attacked another student. Upon returning to Uganda, the two recommended that Amin recruit the prince into the Uganda Army, as they were impressed by his bravery.
In 1976 Sule served as commander of Entebbe Air Base and acting commander of the Uganda Army Air Force. He was not present at the facility during Operation Entebbe—a nighttime Israeli attack which destroyed a significant portion of the Uganda Army Air Force—having left early to meet a female companion at Lake Victoria Hotel. Uganda Army Chief of Staff Mustafa Adrisi reportedly wanted to incarcerate or execute Sule for his lapse in responsibility, but his closeness to Amin guaranteed his safety. From at least 1977 to his eventual death in combat, he headed the Paratroopers Military School in Uganda's capital Kampala.
Uganda–Tanzania War
In late 1978, the Uganda–Tanzania War broke out under unclear circumstances. After an initial Ugandan invasion of Tanzanian territory was defeated, the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) launched a counter-invasion and overran the border town of Mutukula on 21–22 January 1979. Although the garrison had been promised immediate reinforcements, these never arrived. Shortly after the battle, Sule and Brigadier Taban Lupayi arrived with a helicopter at nearby Sanje, to where the Mutukula garrison had retreated. They informed the local commander, Bernard Rwehururu, that the reinforcements had halted in Lukaya, to the north. This information was received badly by the local troops; Sule sensed that the soldiers could possibly revolt and instructed Lupayi to order the reinforcements to advance so that they could relieve Rwehururu's men. Regardless, the troops remained restive. A warrant officer informed Lupayi that some angry infantrymen might be tempted to shoot the officers, causing Sule and Lupayi to quickly leave in their helicopter. In the next months, the Uganda Army was repeatedly defeated by the TPDF and allied Ugandan rebels.
