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born
Somewhere between 1923 -1929, Koboko, Uganda -
Period: to
Idi Amin - the evil dictator
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Family details:
Abandoned by his father at a young age, Idi Amin grew up with his mother's family in a rural farming town in north-western Uganda. -
Events
he joined the British colonial regiment and served in Somalia and Kenya. -
Interests:
At 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) tall and powerfully built, he was the Ugandan light heavyweight boxing champion from 1951 to 1960, as well as a swimmer. Idi Amin was also a formidable rugby forward. -
Promotion in the Army
It was his sheer sense of determination, persistence and strength that helped him rise up the ranks to the post of the Afande or Warrant Officer, which was the highest rank for a Black African in the British army. -
Political overthrow
He became a Commander of the forces and in 1971 he seized power by deposing Milton Obote in a military coup. -
Mass Masacre
Year 1972 witnessed mass massacre as large number of people belonging to the Acholi and Lango ethnic groups were brutally exterminated in the Jinja and Mbarara Barracks. The death toll rose astronomically and included people from various walks of life including religious leaders, journalists, artists, senior bureaucrats, lawyers, students and intellectuals, criminal suspects, and foreign nationals. -
Evil dictactor rules
Corruption, nepotism, human right abuse and political repression were at peak during his rule. International relations also suffered as he sought to develop alliance with Libya, Soviet Union and East Germany. -
Colleagues and associates
During his years in power, Amin shifted in allegiance from being a pro-Western ruler enjoying considerable Israeli support to being backed by Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, Zaire's Mobutu Sese Seko, the Soviet Union, and East Germany. -
Withdrawal of support and fall of supporters
his brutality and callousness led to a significant fall in the number of supporters. Moreover, the declining economic and infrastructure condition caused a withdrawal of support for his army. -
Third President of Uganda comes to an end
He served as the third President of the country from 1971 until 1979 and was widely regarded as the ‘Butcher of Uganda’ for his mass massacre of people. -
Life in exile
Amin, who was a Muslim, fled to Libya and Iraq, before finally settling in Saudi Arabia where he led a relatively comfortable life in exile. -
Died
August 16 2003, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
