Idi Amin Dada Oumee was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third President of Uganda from 1971 until his overthrow in 1979. His rule was characterized by extreme brutality, political repression, ethnic persecution, and severe economic mismanagement, earning him the moniker “Butcher of Uganda”. He is considered one of the most brutal dictators in modern history.
Key Biographical Information
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Idi Amin Dada Oumee |
| Born | c. 1925 (exact date uncertain), Koboko, West Nile Province, British East Africa (now Uganda) |
| Died | August 16, 2003 (aged c. 78), Jiddah, Saudi Arabia |
| Nationality | Ugandan |
| Spouse(s) | Known to have had multiple wives (at least six) |
| Children | Believed to have fathered dozens of children |
| Military Service | King’s African Rifles (British Colonial Army), Ugandan Army |
| Political Office | President of Uganda (1971–1979) |
Early Life and Military Career
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Birth and Background: Born to a Kakwa father and a Lugbara mother, Amin had little formal education and was raised as a Muslim. His exact birth year is disputed, often cited between 1923 and 1928.
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Joins the Army: In 1946, he joined the King’s African Rifles (KAR) of the British Colonial Army, initially as an assistant cook.
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Rise Through Ranks: Known for his imposing physique and aggression, Amin rose through the KAR ranks, participating in military operations against Somali rebels and the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya. He was one of the few native Ugandans promoted to officer rank before independence.
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Ugandan Army: After Uganda gained independence in 1962, Amin remained in the Ugandan Army. He was appointed Deputy Army Commander in 1964 and then Army and Air Force Commander in 1966, becoming a close ally of Prime Minister (later President) Milton Obote.
Seizure of Power and Dictatorship (1971-1979)
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1971 Coup d’état: Tensions grew between Amin and President Obote, who suspected Amin of misappropriating army funds. On January 25, 1971, while Obote was attending a Commonwealth meeting abroad, Amin launched a successful military coup and declared himself President.
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Rule of Terror: Amin’s regime was marked by widespread human rights abuses, extrajudicial killings, and political repression. Estimates suggest that between 100,000 and 500,000 people were killed during his eight years in power. Opponents, religious leaders, intellectuals, and members of rival ethnic groups were targeted. The State Research Bureau, his secret police, was notorious for torture and executions.
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Expulsion of Asians (1972): One of Amin’s most significant and economically devastating actions was the abrupt expulsion of approximately 50,000 to 80,000 Ugandan Asians (mostly of Indian descent) on the pretext that they were “milking Uganda’s money.” This led to the collapse of Uganda’s economy, as the Asian community owned a vast majority of the country’s businesses and accounted for a large portion of tax revenue.
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Foreign Policy and Titles: Amin initially enjoyed Western support, but he quickly alienated these allies, eventually turning to countries like Libya, the Soviet Union, and East Germany for support. He famously broke diplomatic ties with the UK and gave himself grandiose titles, including “Conqueror of the British Empire (CBE)”.
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Entebbe Incident (1976): Amin allowed a hijacked Air France airliner to land at Entebbe Airport. This led to the famous Operation Entebbe, a successful counter-terrorist raid by Israeli commandos to free the hostages.
Downfall and Exile
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Uganda-Tanzania War (1978–1979): Driven by economic mismanagement, internal dissent, and an aggressive foreign policy, Amin launched an invasion of Tanzania’s Kagera region in late 1978. Tanzania, under President Julius Nyerere, retaliated, forming a combined force with Ugandan exiles called the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA).
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Overthrow: The Tanzanian-led forces defeated Amin’s army and captured the capital, Kampala, in April 1979. Amin was forced to flee the country.
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Exile and Death: Amin first fled to Libya and later settled in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, where he lived in comfortable exile, receiving a pension from the Saudi government. He attempted to return to Uganda in 1989 but was stopped in Zaire. He died on August 16, 2003, in a Saudi hospital from kidney failure.
Legacy
Idi Amin’s legacy is one of the most tragic chapters in African history. His regime is a classic example of military dictatorship, marked by unchecked power, ethnic violence, and the dismantling of a national economy. His eight-year rule left Uganda in deep poverty, institutional disarray, and with profound social and psychological scars that persist to this day.