Idi Amin in Uganda for AP World History

Feb 14, 2024

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Idi Amin in Uganda is an illustrative example of the Global Resistance to Existing Power Structures topic in Unit 8 of AP World History. You could reference this example on your AP World History test.

Idi Amin came to power in Uganda through a military coup in January 1971, overthrowing President Milton Obote’s government. Amin, then a general in the Ugandan army, capitalized on dissatisfaction with Obote’s regime and ethnic tensions within the country. Initially viewed by some as a charismatic leader promising stability and prosperity, Amin’s rule quickly descended into one of the darkest chapters in Uganda’s history.

Rule of Terror

Idi Amin’s regime was characterized by brutality, repression, and human rights abuses on a massive scale. Amin’s security forces, notably the State Research Bureau and the notorious Public Safety Unit, carried out extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary arrests against perceived opponents, ethnic minorities, and anyone deemed disloyal to the regime. The expulsion of Uganda’s Asian minority in 1972, a move motivated by xenophobia and economic nationalism, further destabilized the country and led to widespread suffering.

Loss of Power

Amin’s rule eventually unraveled amid international condemnation and internal discontent. His military adventurism, including an ill-fated invasion of Tanzania in 1978, strained relations with neighboring countries and isolated Uganda diplomatically. In April 1979, Tanzanian forces, supported by Ugandan exiles, launched a military campaign to oust Amin from power. The ensuing conflict, known as the Uganda-Tanzania War, culminated in Amin’s overthrow and exile in April 1979. His departure marked the end of a brutal dictatorship that had inflicted untold suffering on the people of Uganda.