The Rise of Idi Amin as the President of Uganda and its Implication on the Liberation Struggles of the Southern African Countries

Abstract

The overthrow of the Ugandan President Dr Apollo Milton Obote on 25th January 1971 opened a new but provocative chapter of the diplomatic relations between Tanzania and Uganda. Obote and the President of Tanzania then, Mwali muJulius Nyerere, supported Southern African Countries' (SACs)liberation struggles. This study examines the rise of Idi Amin and its implications for the liberation struggles of SACs. Specifically ,it examines the Frontline Leaders' (FLLs) reaction to Amin’s regime, especially after he invaded Tanzania. Both unpublished and published sources were consulted to gather information. The unpublished data were collected from different reports, magazines, and newspapers from the Tanzania National Library and Tanzania National Archive. The published data were collected from books and journal articles. The data collection in Tanzania was done because the country was directly engaged in the two incidences. Firstly, Tanzania was invaded by Amin, leading to the Tanzania-Uganda War of 1978-1979. Secondly ,the country was the center of the Southern Africa Liberation Movements. The results exposed that Amin’s coup over Obote and the invasion of Tanzania had imperialist motives behind it. The rise of Amin as the new President of Uganda and his invasion of Tanzania implicated the whole operation of liberation movements in SACs. The FLLs were disappointed seeing their fellow African leaders trying to introduce another kind of imperialism. Amin’s vision differed from the FLLs 'vision, which was to decolonize SACs such as Mozambique ,Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and the liberation of South Africa against apartheid policy