Idi amin/ biography

In , General Idi Amin overthrew the elected government of Milton Obote and declared himself president of Uganda, launching a ruthless eight-year regime in which an estimated , civilians were massacred. In his reign of terror came to an end as Ugandan exiles and Tanzanians took control of the capital of Kampala, forcing Amin to flee.

Never brought to justice for his heinous crimes, Amin lived out the remainder of his life in Saudi Arabia. Idi Amin Dada was born c. He was deployed to Somalia in to fight the Shifta rebels and later fought with the British during the suppression of the Mau Mau Rebellion in Kenya In he attained the rank of effendi—the highest position for a black African soldier within the KAR—and, by , he had been appointed commander of the armed forces.

Idi amin/ biography: Idi Amin, military officer and president

Did you know? During his time in the army, Amin became the light heavyweight boxing champion of Uganda, a title he held for nine years between and By , Obote had forged an alliance with Amin, who helped expand the size and power of the Ugandan Army. In February , following accusations that the pair was responsible for smuggling gold and ivory from Congo that were subsequently traded for arms, Obote suspended the constitution and proclaimed himself executive president.

During his absence, Amin took the offensive and staged a coup on January 25, , seizing control of the government and forcing Obote into exile.