"He was a freedom fighter, a patriot and a peacemaker. When we engaged, he understood that Uganda needed unity rather than endless conflict," Museveni said.

Another turning point came in 1986 when Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s National Resistance Army captured power. Ali negotiated a peace agreement that saw UNRF fighters integrated into the national army. Returning from exile as a Major General, he began a new political journey that lasted nearly four decades under the National Resistance Movement.