Idi Amin Takes Power (Uganda)
Idi Amin's rise to power in Uganda began on February 2, 1971, when he staged a coup against then-Prime Minister Milton Obote amidst a backdrop of political instability and conflict. Amin, who was born in 1925 in Koboko, had a military background and had attained significant influence within the Ugandan army. His rule marked a period characterized by extreme authoritarianism and violence, leading to widespread human rights abuses and the deaths of approximately 300,000 people. Amin notably targeted the Lango tribe and the Asian minority, expelling around 70,000 Asians and nationalizing foreign businesses, which plunged the economy into turmoil. His regime was also marked by personal brutality and alleged acts of cannibalism. Uganda's economy became heavily reliant on loans from Arab states during this time. In 1978, a conflict with Tanzania culminated in a Tanzanian invasion, which resulted in Amin's removal from power in 1979. Following his ousting, Amin fled to Saudi Arabia, where he lived in exile. His controversial rule remains a significant chapter in Uganda's complex history, reflecting the challenges faced by post-colonial African nations.
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Idi Amin Takes Power (Uganda)
Idi Amin Takes Power (Uganda)
On February 2, 1971, the commander of the Ugandan army, Idi Amin, declared himself the new ruler of the politically unstable Central African state of Uganda. His rule ushered in an era of tyranny and bloodshed unprecedented even in the violence-filled history of central Africa.
Like most African nations, modern Uganda was once part of a European colonial empire, having become a British protectorate in 1896. Uganda achieved independence from Great Britain in October of 1962 and Milton Obote became its first prime minister. Obote found many obstacles to building an effective and thriving nation-state in central Africa, including arbitrarily drawn national boundaries, tribal loyalties in conflict with national interests, regional separatist movements, and governmental corruption.
The result was chaos. In 1966 Obote sent the army into Buganda (present-day southern Uganda) and abolished local kingships in an effort to restore order and establish a more unitary form of government. He also saw to the adoption of a constitution making Uganda a republic and himself the president. However, these measures failed to resolve Uganda's problems, and in January 1971 the army staged a coup that forced Obote from power.
The new leader of Uganda was Idi Amin, born in Koboko to Muslim parents in 1925. He had joined the British colonial army in 1946 after receiving a basic education during his childhood. When Uganda achieved independence he was one of only two African officers in the army, and by supporting Obote he was quickly promoted. By 1968 he was commander of the army. After installing himself as dictator on February 2, 1971, Amin proceeded to turn Uganda into his personal fiefdom.
Amin expanded the power and privileges of the army, using his troops to terrorize the Lango tribe to which Obote had belonged and which remained loyal to him. The Acholi tribe and the people of Buganda were also persecuted. Amin expelled the country's prosperous Asian minority, numbering some 70,000 people, and seized their property. He also nationalized many foreign businesses. Approximately 300,000 people died during Amin's reign of terror, and he reportedly took a special delight in personally torturing leaders of the opposition. He is even alleged to have eaten portions of the bodies of his victims.
Amin's abuses caused the economy to collapse and the nation to depend on loans from Arab states that favored him as a fellow Muslim. In 1978 a border conflict with neighboring Tanzania led to an invasion by Tanzanian forces, who removed Amin from power in 1979 and paved the way for Obote to return. Amin fled the country and took up residence in Saudi Arabia, which gave him asylum. He is reportedly alive and well as of this writing.