Born in uganda, he was a boxer and soldier under british rule of uganda. In the 1940s amin was recruited by a british colonial army officer. Idi amin simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Bob astles was played by leonard trolley in the 1982 film amin. Jaffar is the tenth of amins 40 official children by seven official. Mark leopold is lecturer in social anthropology at the university of sussex. After amin rebuffed appeals for clemency by the queen, hills was released and. After idi amins 90day period, only about a hundred indians were left in the country. At a very young age amins father abandoned his family, leaving young idi amin to be raised by his mothers family in. Idi amin dada oumee was born in the rural village of koboko, uganda, in 1923, a member of the kakwa tribe. Amin s brutal reign has been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and dramatic films, including ghosts of kampala, the last king of scotland, and general idi amin dada. His father was a kakwa, a tribe that exists in uganda, zaire now congo, and sudan. Idi amin squandered the wealth of uganda washington post. Opening quote by or about the featured villainvillainess historical map.
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. Ugandas idi amin, said to be responsible for the deaths of 400,000 during his brutal reign some of. Not really a bad written book it was actually quite easy to read the problem was the book is so old and guy that wrote it who was one of idi amin s top men had fled the country. Amin was a member of the kakwa ethnic group, a small islamic tribe that had settled in the region. To mark 50 years of ugandas independence, new vision will, until october 9, 2012, be publishing highlights of events and profiling personalities who have shaped the history of this country. She met amin when she was a 19yearold gogo dancer and they married in 1975. The book idi amin takes place all throughout africa. He came to power following a coup and was eventually forced out of office. There is freedom of speech, but i cannot guarantee freedom after speech. The president of tanzania at the time, julius nyerere, invaded uganda to save the country from amin amin was famous for sending all asians, mainly from india and pakistan, out of uganda.
From the small kakwa ethnic group, he advanced in the ugandan armed forces from private 1946 to major general 1968. Uganda was a protectorate of the british empire before becoming independent in 1962, and when idi amin took over uganda in 1971, he was not nostalgic about the countrys colonial past. The couple had three children but kyolaba left amin after he went into exile in 1979. His father was a kakwa, a tribe that exists in uganda, zaire. I love idi amin by bishop festo kivengere bonnie book. Idi amin was the president of uganda between 25 jan 1971 to april 1979, and he is widely considered one of the most brutal leaders in the history of the world. His hatred grew to a fever pitch after the publication of kivengeres book i love idi amin, which piqued my curiosity. In 1946, he joined the kings african rifles kar of. Jaffar amin said he was writing a book to rehabilitate his fathers reputation. Sarah kyolaba tatu namutebi amin, also known by her stage name suicide sarah 1955 11 june 2015, was a ugandan dancer who was dictator idi amins fifth and lastsurviving wife.
The myth was widely popularized in the movie rise and fall of idi amin, in which the directors wrote the script according to a biography of joseph olita, a former kenyan president. As a solider in the kings african rifles he was sent on missions to stop rebellions. The last king of scotland stars forrest whitaker as charismatic and unfathomably murderous ruler idi amin. The making of idi amins regime posted on october 27, 2014 by geraldine bass 3 comments his excellency, president for life, field marshal al hadji doctor idi amin dada, vc, dso, mc, lord of all the beasts of the earth and fishes of the seas and conqueror of the british empire in africa in general and uganda in particular. Idi amins coup was widely welcomed, as there was hope that the country would finally be unified. As a boy, amin spent much time tending goats and working in the fields. Amin promised a return to civilian government in five years, but. Idi amin living high in saudi arabia the washington post. In 1971 he overthrew the elected government of milton obote and declared himself president of uganda, launching a ruthless eightyear regime.
Jaffar is the tenth of amin s 40 official children by seven official wives. He came to international prominence in 1975 while he was living in uganda and was sentenced to death for espionage and sedition following comments about president idi amin in a book which hills wrote. This book is published by a jewish publishing house. Idi amin dada was born sometime between 1925 and 1927 in koboko, west nile province, in uganda. When britain colonized uganda, he joined the kings african rifles, a britainugandan army group. His exact birth date is unknown, but most researchers believe he was born around the year 1925. Its an account much more of the indian issue and a bit about the african political groups. And i mean hes still in power so if you want to know what happened to idi amin this book is not goning to tell you. When i purchased this book, i hoped to get a picture of idi amins personality, and an inside story on how he maintained power. Often depicted in his time as an eccentric buffoon with delusions of grandeur, amin is now considered one of historys cruelest dictators. The ugandan indians, 65% of whom were hindu, had been settled in the country since the 1920s, and for many of them uganda was the only home they knew. Amin, the subject of the books title, appears only sparsely in the first three quarters of the book, and then more heavily in the last quarter.
Obotes regime possibly tortured and killed even more people than amins but he kept a lower profile than his predecessor and never raised such international uproar. He threw them out because he believed they were taking the jobs of ugandans. And through it all, one gets an ironic sense of the authors reverence, bordering on heroworship, of idi amin. Henry kyemba gives us his own insights into idi amin s regime.
Idi amin was the most controversial leader of uganda. Idi amin biography life, story, school, mother, book. The exact date when idi amin was born remains unknown till date, yet most experts and sources concur that amin was born somewhere around the mid1920s. Idi amin 1 dada as president of uganda 19711979 idi amin 2 dada born c.
Idi amin was born in the 1920s in the west nile province. Deserted by his father at an early age, he was brought up by his mother, an herbalist and diviner. How did idi amin get the title of last king of scotland. Amin ignored human rights, repressed the ugandan people, racially persecuted the people and executed the people. Idi amin article about idi amin by the free dictionary. Idi amin, military officer and president 197179 of uganda whose regime was noted for the sheer scale of its brutality, earning him the nickname the butcher of uganda. Amin ignored human rights, repressed the ugandan people, racially persecuted the people and executed the people without.
They were bloodsuckers, said idi amin, who had milked the ugandan. Idi amin, who has died at an age thought to be 78, was one of the most brutal military dictators to wield power in postindependence africa. Idi amin dada was a military leader turned president of uganda, who was in power from 1971 to 1979. Idi amin dada 17 august 1925 16 august 2003 was a repressive dictator of the african country of uganda. Despite the numerous caricatures as a lunatic murderer he was a towering figure both in uganda and the african continent, and he outwitted all his opponents until his downfall. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Idi amin dada oumee was born around 1923 near koboko, in the west nile province of what is now the republic of uganda. He kicked the jews and indians out of his country uganda. Amin joined the kings african rifles kar of the british colonial army in 1946. I read a state of blood shortly after returning from uganda, maybe to gain a sense of perspective on the history of this country. Defence force and ugandan exiles operating through tanzania. Jeddah, saudi arabia a former heavyweight boxer who had been a british colonial army sergeant, idi amin exuded power during his years in uganda.
Denis cecil hills 8 november 19 26 april 2004 was a british author, teacher, traveller and adventurer. In later years, idi amin lived quietly in jeddah, saudi arabia, helped by large handouts from the countrys government. The question of how idi amins regime reorganized gender norms is a crucial one for the book. As president of uganda 19711979 idi amin dada born ca. Raised in the isolated farming country of northwestern uganda, amin received a scant education which left him functionally illiterate. Idi amin dada oumee was a ugandan military officer who served as the president. Amin joined the british colonial regiment, the kings african rifles, in 1946, and eventually held the rank of major general and commander of the ugandan army prior to taking power in the military coup of january 1971, deposing milton. While chief of staff of the ugandan army, under dr. Idi amin also known as idi amin dada was the nutty, ruthless dictator of the african nation of uganda during the 1970s.
Idi amin in his maiden speech addressing his fellow ugandans, famously or infamously said. Idi amin biography life, story, school, mother, book, information. The son of ugandas former dictator idi amin has hit back at portrayal of his father in the hollywood film, the last king of scotland, and said he. Idi amin was born idi amin dada oumee in ugandas northwest, near the borders of sudan and congo.
Popularly known as the butcher of uganda, he is considered one of the cruellest despots in world history amin was born in koboko to a kakwa father and lugbara mother. Ugandan president idi amin clenches his fists to make a point while addressing the organization of african unity, oau, summit meeting in khartoum, sudan, on friday, july 21, 1978. The fictional character of nicholas garrigan in the book and film the last king of scotland was, according to author giles foden, loosely based on some events in astles life. Born between 1925 and 1927 in koboko, west nile province, idi amins father was a kakwa. He left a controversial and conflicted legacy, as depicted by oscarwinning film star forest whitaker in the hit movie. Women, gender and militarism in uganda by alicia c decker.
The book ends on a note of resolution, but i always wondered about kivengeres book. David grimms annoying new play is a selfindulgent work about how hard it is to be a writer. His style of ruling was brutal, and ran the country economically poorly. He started out as a soldier in the british colonial army in 1946 and became one of its first ugandan commissioned officers. Idi amin president of uganda is shown with vice president mustafa adrisi in jan, 25, 1978, at a rally in koboko, northern uganda, to mark the seventh anniversary of amins rule. Amin s father was a farmer and a member of the kakwa a tribe indigenous to uganda, congo, and sudan while his mother was of the lugbara people. Idi amin was a ugandan military officer and politician. The difference between saddam hussein and idi amin is that amin, a muslim, was careful not to brutalize other muslims. He was known to be a vicious boxer who was merciless and relentless.
Before serving in the topmost position of the country, he had a modest beginning. Idi amin was one of the most evil dictators in modern history, butchering hundreds of thousands of his own people. Idi amin by steve doughety 128 pages nonfiction biography idi amin, known to be one of the evilest and cruel leaders of all time, is generally not well known. One of the myths linked with idi amin is that he was a cannibal.