The organization was formed in response to the political instability and human rights violations that characterized Uganda during the Idi Amin regime and its immediate aftermath, drawing support from various ethnic communities who felt marginalized by successive governments. The group operated through guerrilla warfare tactics, conducting hit-and-run operations against government forces and infrastructure, while also attempting to establish liberated zones in rural areas where they could provide alternative governance structures and win popular support. The UFF was supposed to receive weapons shipments from
Libya, but these never arrived due to Obote's military increasing security after the
Battle of Kabamba in February 1981. == Merger ==