Silas Mayunga
Silas Paul Mayunga (1940-6 August 2011) was a Tanzanian military officer and diplomat. BiographyMayunga served in the Tanganyika Rifles as a second lieutenant and was stationed in Lugalo.[1] During the Tanganyika Rifles mutiny of January 1964 he was in Tabora.In 1974 he took the military course in Canada and later became the Regional Commissioner in Singida(1977-1978). In October 1978 Uganda, ruled by Idi Amin, invaded and occupied the Kagera Salient in northern Tanzania, initiating the Uganda–Tanzania War.[2] Mayunga, serving as a brigadier in the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF), led a brigade into Kagera after the Uganda Army withdrew.[3] The TPDF invaded Uganda in early 1979, and Mayunga commanded the 206th Brigade as it advanced into the southwestern portion of the country and seized Mbarara.[4][5] During the war his troops commonly referred to him as "the artillery wizard".[4] After leading forces into Uganda, his men nicknamed him "Mti Mkavu" (Swahili: dry tree) in reference to his perceived durability.[6] Following the capture of Mbarara and Masaka, the TPDF halted to reorganise.[7] On March 21 Mayunga was promoted to major general and given charge of a newly formed "Task Force",[8] a unit consisting of the 206th Brigade and the Minziro Brigade, which was semi-autonomous from the TPDF's main invasion force, the 20th Division, in southeastern Uganda.[7] While the 20th Division attacked Kampala and other major locations, the Task Force advanced north into western Uganda in the following months, engaging Ugandan troops conducting rearguard defensive actions.[9] On 3 June 1979 Mayunga accompanied the Minziro Brigade as it secured the last portion of unoccupied Ugandan territory along the Sudanese border, ending the war. At the frontier, he delivered a short victory speech to his soldiers, telling them, "You've taught Idi Amin a lesson he'll never forget."[10] He was later awarded by the new Ugandan government for his role in overthrowing Amin's regime.He became the head of Tanzania Special forces in Uganda(1979-1980),CCM Regional Secretary in Kilimanjaro(1983-1988),Tanzanian Ambassador in Nigeria(1989-1998) and DRC(1998-2002).
Mayunga died on 6 August 2011 at the age of 71 in Delhi, India while undergoing medical treatment.[11] His body was repatriated to Tanzania two days later.[12] Uhuru Stadium in Bukoba was renamed Mayunga Stadium in his honour.[13] Citations
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