Idi Amin Dada
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:01:01
He rapidly became chief of staff...
:01:03
and the right-hand man
of President Obote,

:01:06
whom he overthrew in 1971
by a coup d'etat.

:01:10
Obote was unpopular,
:01:13
and his fall was welcomed
by the population.

:01:15
He fled to Tanzania and
a reward was offered for him,

:01:18
dead or alive.
:01:21
General Amin soon attracted attention
on the international scene...

:01:25
with his numerous telegrams
to other heads of state.

:01:28
He called Nixon
"my dear brother"...

:01:31
and wished him a quick recovery
from the Watergate affair.

:01:34
He congratulated the Chilean junta
when it took power.

:01:38
He ordered the queen of England
to send the Scottish guard...

:01:41
to accompany him
to the Commonwealth Conference.

:01:45
Eighty-thousand Asians
installed by the British in Uganda...

:01:45
at the beginning of the century...
:01:48
controlled 80% of the country's economy.
:01:51
In 1972, after a dream,
:01:54
General Amin declared the economic war,
:01:56
which meant, on one hand,
:01:59
giving 90 days to the Asians
to leave the country,

:02:01
taking with them the strict minimum,
:02:03
and, on the other hand,
distributing their business to Ugandans.

:02:05
Today, the economic war
has not yet been won.

:02:10
Distribution chains and imports
have been disrupted.

:02:13
The country's foreign reserves
are at their lowest.

:02:17
In the capital,
it is almost impossible...

:02:24
to find sugar, flour,
imported industrial products,

:02:27
spare parts or matches.
:02:30
Uganda holds the record
for inflation in Africa.

:02:33
In one year, prices have risen
from 20 to 50%.

:02:36
On February 10th, 1972,
:02:45
to set an example and to combat
budding guerilla warfare,

:02:48
General Amin organized
12 public executions...

:02:52
at the same time
in the country's main towns.

:02:55
Most observers agree...
:02:57
that several thousand
Ugandans have disappeared...


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