Idi Amin, ex-dictator of Uganda, dies

Jet, Sept 1, 2003

Idi Amin, former president of Uganda who ruled the African country for eight years, recently died in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, where he had lived for years in exile.

The former dictator died at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, a hospital official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. He was reported to have been 80 years old, Ugandan officials reported.

Amin had been hospitalized on life-support since mid-July. He was in a coma when admitted to the hospital. Later, hospital staff said that he suffered kidney failure.

Amin, a one-time heavyweight boxing champ and soldier in the British colonial army, was born into the small Kakwa tribe in Koboko, a village in northwestern Uganda. He seized power on Jan. 25, 1971, overthrowing President Milton Obote while he was abroad, declaring himself president for life in the country of 24 million people.

What followed was a reign of terror and a flirtation with Palestinian terrorism that led to the 1976 Israeli raid to rescue hijacked hostages in his country.

Human rights groups say 100,000 to 500,000 people were killed during his regime.

Amin's overreaching designs led to his downfall after his troops failed in their attempt to annex parts of Tanzania in October of 1978. Tanzanian troops counter-invaded Kampala in April of 1979.

Amin, a convert to Islam, fled to Libya, then Iraq and finally to Saudi Arabia, where he was allowed to settle on the condition that he stayed out of politics.

In later months, he was joined by one of his two wives and his 22 children.