Idi Amin: Uganda's Hitler
The rise and fall of the dictator known as the Butcher of Africa
Aug 16, 2006
Famous Dictators
Early Years
Idi Amin Dada Oumee, aka the "Butcher of Africa," was born to a humble family between 1923 and 1925 in the northwest corner of Uganda. His parents separated soon after his birth and he was raised by his mother who had eight children, he being the third born. As a child, idi Amin converted to Islam , the faith of his father, receiving only a rudimentary education.
Military Career and Promotion
In 1946, Idi Amin joined the King's African Rifles of the British colonial army. He was considered a skilled soldier but he had a reputation for cruelty. Idi Amin was promoted several times and in 1959 became effendi (warrant officer), the highest rank possible for a Black African in the colonial British army. In 1961 Idi Amin earned the rank of lieutenant in the Ugandan army and was a champion swimmer and boxer.
In 1964, Uganda's First Prime Minister, Milton Obote, promoted him to deputy commander of the army. Under his command, the Turkana Massacre occurred, in which the many victims were tortured, beaten to death and in some cases, buried alive. Under Idi Amin's command, more than 300,000 innocent people (some estimates say 500,000) lost their lives. Among those killed were ordinary citizens, Cabinet ministers, Supreme Court judges, diplomats, educators, prominent Roman Catholic and Anglican clergy, bankers, tribal leaders, journalists and foreigners. In some cases, entire villages were wiped out.
Uganda's President
In 1971 Idi Amin seized power, declaring himself the new president of Uganda. Obote later referred to Idi Amin as " the greatest brute an African mother ever brought to life." During his first year in power, mass executions of officers and troops he believed loyal to Obote took place, and as many as 9,000 soldiers were executed during his first year in power.
Exile and Death
In 1979 the Tanzanian army forced Idi Amin into exile as a new government took over Uganda. He sought exile in Saudi Arabiawhere he died on August 16, 2003, at the age of 79. Shortly before his death, Idi Amin's wife begged Uganda's president to permit his return so that he could die in his native land, but the request was denied.
Idi Amin was a murderous monster whose unabashed cruelty resembled that of a man he very much admired, namely, Adolph Hitler. Their souls, in all probability, lie very close together in a place where it is always rather warm.
