Amin Dada, Idi << ah MEEN DAH dah, EE dee >> (1925?-2003), was the ruler of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin, an army officer, came to power after leading the army in overthrowing Uganda’s civilian government. His rule ended when Ugandans who opposed his policies and troops from neighboring Tanzania overthrew his government. Amin then fled the country.
Amin was a controversial leader. In 1972, he forced an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 Asians living in Uganda to leave the country. He said that he did so to put control of the nation’s economy in the hands of Ugandans. Many thousands of Ugandans who opposed Amin’s policies were killed, at Amin’s order or by order of his supporters. Amin also called for the “extinction of Israel,” praised Adolf Hitler for murdering Jews, and denounced the leaders of many nations.
Amin was born in northern Uganda. Amin enlisted in the army in 1944. He was appointed to the rank of deputy commander of the armed forces in 1964. From 1951 to 1960, Amin was the heavyweight boxing champion of Uganda. Amin died on Aug. 16, 2003, in Saudi Arabia, where he had been living in exile.
