Idi Amin

While President Milton Obote was abroad, Idi Amin, commander of the Ugandan army, launched a military coup on January 25, 1971. He declared himself president, dissolved parliament, and suspended the constitution, beginning eight years of dictatorial rule.

Amin ordered the expulsion of Uganda's Asian population, mostly of Indian descent, giving them 90 days to leave. Approximately 80,000 people were forced out, and their businesses and property were seized. The action devastated Uganda's economy and drew international condemnation.

Amin ordered the Ugandan army to annex the Kagera Salient in northern Tanzania. The invasion was repelled by Tanzanian forces and allied Ugandan rebels. This act triggered a counter-invasion that led to Amin's overthrow in 1979.

Tanzanian forces and the Uganda National Liberation Front captured Kampala on April 11, 1979. Amin fled first to Libya, then to Saudi Arabia, where he lived in exile until his death in 2003. His regime was responsible for an estimated 100,000 to 500,000 deaths.