Picture: Mama Miria Obote, Milton Obote and Idi Amin. http://lumumba-amin.blogspot.com/2015/10/lango-master-plan-what-led-to-rift.html.
|
Idi Amin became closely associated with the prime minister and president of Uganda, Milton Obote. Together, they both worked to smuggle gold, coffee, and ivory out of the Congo.[6]The money that was made from this, Amin used to try and strengthen his position within the army.[7] Soon, conflicts began to brew between Amin and Milton. Milton started to see Amin as a threat, and responded to it by putting Amin on house arrest .[8] When the house arrest didn’t work, Milton resorted to demoting Amin and giving him a non-executive position in the army. [9] On January 25, 1971 Amin staged a successful military coup while Milton was at a commonwealth meeting and became president and chief of the armed forces.[10] Amin later became field marshal in 1975 and the life president in 1976.[11] Popular history recalls Amin's declared title to be:
"His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular." [12] |
Once Amin gained power, no one would have thought that he would turn into a monster. Not even his good friend the queen. Idi Amin and the queen knew each other from when he served in their army. Once Amin became president of Uganda, he sent her an invitation to attend Uganda's celebration of their independence.[13] The queen respectfully declined and sent a letter, which at the end read:
"‘I am your good friend, Elizabeth R.’"