Idi Amin

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia   Idi Amin Dada c 1925  16 August 2003 was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979 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 before taking power in the military coup of January 1971 deposing Milton Obote He later promoted himself to Field Marshal while he was the head of state Amins rule was characterized by human rights abuse political repression ethnic persecution extrajudicial killings nepotism corruption and gross economic mismanagement The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100000  to 500000 During his years in power Amin was backed by Libyas Muammar alGaddafi as well as the Soviet Union and East Germany In 19751976 Amin became the Chairman of the Organisation of African Unity a panAfricanist group designed to promote solidarity of the African states  During the 19771979 period Uganda was appointed to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights  From 1977 to 1979 Amin titled himself as His Excellency President for Life Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor  Idi Amin Dada VC  DSO MC Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular Dissent within Uganda and Amins attempt to annex the Kagera province of Tanzania in 1978 led to the UgandaTanzania War and the demise of his regime Amin later fled to exile in Libya and Saudi Arabia where he died on 16 August 2003 Description above from the Wikipedia article Idi Amin licensed under CCBYSAfull list of contributors on Wikipedia