Idi Amin

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Lore & Background

Idi Amin was born to a Kakwa father and Lugbara mother. In 1946, he joined the King's African Rifles, part of the British Colonial Army, as a cook. He rose to the rank of lieutenant, taking part in British actions against Somali rebels and then the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya. Uganda gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1962, and Amin remained in the army, rising to the position of deputy army commander in 1964 and being appointed commander two years later. He became aware that Ugandan president Milton Obote was planning to arrest him for misappropriating army funds, so he overthrew Obote in 1971 and declared himself president. During his years in power, Amin shifted from being a pro-Western ruler enjoying considerable support from Israel to being backed by Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, Zaire's Mobutu Sese Seko, the Soviet Union, and East Germany. In 1972, Amin expelled Asians, a majority of whom were Indian-Ugandans, leading India to sever diplomatic relations with his regime. In 1975, Amin assumed chairmanship of the Organisation of African Unity, an intergovernmental organisation designed to promote solidarity among African states (an annually rotating role). Uganda was a member of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights from 1977 to 1979. The United Kingdom broke diplomatic relations with Uganda in 1977, and Amin declared that he had defeated the British and added "CBE" to his title, for "Conqueror of the British Empire". During the late 1970s there was increased unrest in Uganda, prompted by Amin's persecution of political dissidents and certain ethnic groups and also by the country's very poor international standing, a result of Amin's support for the 1976 hijacking that led to Israel's Operation Entebbe. He then attempted to annex Tanzania's Kagera Region in 1978. Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere ordered his troops to invade Uganda in response. Tanzanian Army and rebel forces successfully captured Kampala in 1979 and ousted Amin from power. Amin went into exile, first in Libya, then Iraq, and finally in Saudi Arabia, where he lived until his death in 2003. Virtually all retellings of Amin's early life are contradictory since he did not write an autobiography and never authorised a written account of his life. British governmental records put Amin's birth year as 1925; however no records were kept for native Ugandans at the time. In a 1972 interview with Judith Hare Amin gives his birthplace as the village of Koboko and his age as 46, which would make his birth year 1926. According to a book published in 1977 by Little, Brown and Company and written by a British adviser in Uganda using the pseudonym David Gwyn, Amin was born in Buganda with his age given as 48, making his birth year 1928. The most comprehensive biography of Amin comes from his family based on oral tradition, which has some authority but its details ultimately cannot be confirmed. Family tradition and Saudi authorities in Jeddah put his birth date as 10 Dhu al-Hijja 1346 in the Islamic calendar (30 May 1928 in the Gregorian Calendar).

Reader's Guide

Idi Amin's significance lies in his dictatorial rule over Uganda from 1971 to 1979, marked by extreme human rights abuses. International observers and human rights groups estimate that between 100,000 and 500,000 people were killed under his regime. His expulsion of Asians in 1972, a majority of whom were Indian-Ugandans, led India to sever diplomatic relations. Despite chairing the Organisation of African Unity in 1975, his support for the 1976 hijacking that led to Israel's Operation Entebbe damaged his international standing. His attempt to annex Tanzania's Kagera Region in 1978 prompted Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere to order an invasion; Tanzanian Army and rebel forces captured Kampala in 1979 and ousted Amin. He went into exile in Libya, then Iraq, and finally Saudi Arabia, where he died in 2003. The contradictions in his early life—with no authorized biography and conflicting records—add to the historical challenge of assessing his legacy.

Did You Know?

• Amin joined the King's African Rifles in 1946 as a cook before rising to the rank of lieutenant.
• He declared himself 'Conqueror of the British Empire' and added 'CBE' to his title after the UK broke diplomatic relations in 1977.
• Amin assumed the annually rotating chairmanship of the Organisation of African Unity in 1975.
• Uganda served on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights from 1977 to 1979, during Amin's regime.
• Amin's early life is contradictory because he did not write an autobiography and never authorised a written account of his life.