General Moses Ali: Soldier, Rebel, Peacemaker and Statesman Dies At 87

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Gen. Moses Ali, a long-serving Ugandan soldier, politician and former rebel leader, has died at 87. According to the outlet, his family said he had been admitted with unspecified illnesses and had slipped into a coma before his death. Former NRM national vice chairperson for eastern Uganda Capt. Mike Mukula said Ali died at Nakasero Hospital on Saturday afternoon.

The report describes Ali’s career as spanning Uganda’s major political and military transitions, from the pre-independence army and the Idi Amin government to exile, rebellion and later service under President Yoweri Museveni. Born in Adjumani District in 1939, Ali began as a teacher before joining the Uganda Army in 1968. He rose quickly under Amin, serving in senior military and ministerial roles, including finance and tourism-related portfolios.

After Amin’s fall in 1979, Nile Post says Ali went into exile in Sudan and later founded the Uganda National Rescue Front, which operated mainly in West Nile during conflicts with successive governments in Kampala. He later signed a 1988 peace agreement with the NRM government, a deal the report says helped integrate fighters into the national army and contributed to stabilising West Nile after years of war.

Ali subsequently became one of Museveni’s longest-serving allies, holding senior posts including deputy prime minister, minister for disaster preparedness and refugees, and adviser on peace and security. He also represented Adjumani West in Parliament for many years. Nile Post reports that he had recently left active Cabinet service on medical grounds, with his son Siraji Musa Ali later appointed minister of state for works and transport.