Idi Amin Personality

Known as the most notorious of all Africa's post-independence dictators, Idi Amin was a Ugandan president known for his brutal regime and crimes against humanity while in power from 1971-1979. During his years in power, Amin shifted in allegiance from being a proWestern ruler enjoying considerable Israeli support to being backed by Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, Zaire's Mobutu Sese Seko, the Soviet Union, and East German
Background:  Born in 192, in the West Nile Province of what is now the Republic of Uganda and deserted by his father. Raised by his mother.  He was a member of the Kakwa ethnic group, a small Islamic tribe that was settled in the region.  Amin joined the King’s African Rifles (KAR), a regiment of the British colonial army, and

In 1959 he attained the rank of effendi—the highest position for a black African soldier within the KAR—and, by 1966, he had been appointed commander of the armed forces. Character:  a very charismatic but ruthless leader  ignored human rights, repressed the Ugandan people, racially persecuted the people  a very erratic, unpredictable and outspoken dictator  He was described as having a quick-change and violent short temper; being charming, happy, and charismatic one minute and then suddenly angry, violent, and brutal the next, with little or no warning.  Many have speculated that his behavior was either the result of long-termsyphilis of the brain or possibly undiagnosed and untreated bipolar disorder. As the years progressed, Amin's behavior became more erratic, unpredictable, and outspoken. Beginning of regime:  Amin became closely associated with the prime minister and president, Milton Obote. By 1964, Obote had forged an alliance with Amin, who helped expand the size and power of the Ugandan Army. In February 1966, following

 The victims soon came to include members of other ethnic groups, religious leaders, journalists, artists, senior bureaucrats, judges, lawyers, students and intellectuals, criminal suspects, and foreign nationals. In this atmosphere of violence, many other people were killed for criminal motives or simply at will. Bodies were often dumped into the River Nile.  He began terrorizing the general public through the various internal security forces he organized such as the State Research Bureau  He expelled Asians. Many of them left, but some committed suicide.  Amin personally ordered the execution of the Anglican Archbishop of Uganda, Janani Luwum, the chief justice, the chancellor of Makerere College, governor of the Bank of Uganda, and several of his own parliamentary ministers.  When the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacked an Air France flight from Israel to Paris on June 27, 1976, Idi Amin welcomed the terrorists and supplied them with troops and weapons, but was humiliated when Israeli commandos subsequently rescued the hostages in a surprise raid on the Entebbe airport. In the aftermath, Amin ordered the execution of several airport personnel, hundreds of Kenyans whom were believed to have conspired with Israel and an elderly British hostage who had previously been escorted to a nearby hospital.  Throughout his