Idi Amin Dada was a Ugandan soldier and dictator. He was born in 1925 at Koboko and died in 2003. A sergeant in the British colonial army in Uganda before staging a military coup in 1971 and taking control of the country from the then left-wing leader, Obote. Western governments welcomed Amin's coup as it removed a potential communist from the country. However, Idi Amin's first action was to execute all the military thought to be loyal to Obote.
In order to maintain power - which he did through the public execution of any opposition - Idi Amin required military support. This he at first obtained from Israel, but Israel withdrew after becoming aware of Idi Amin's atrocities. Idi Amin then courted the Arab world, and became an active supporter of the Palestinian terrorists, sending a telegram of support for them following the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Olympics and inviting an Israeli passenger jet, hijacked by Palestinian terrorists to land at Entebbeairport. His brutal rule which resulted in the deaths of thousands of people ended after his failed invasion of neighbouring Tanzania resulted in Tanzania invading Uganda and capturing Kampala, the Ugandan capital in 1979. Idi Amin escaped to exile in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca where he died. Research Idi Amin
Entebbe is a town in Uganda. Scene of a famous hijacking when Palestinian terrorists - with the assistance of Idi Amin's Ugandan forces - hijcked an Air France jet carrying Jewish, mainly Israeli, civilians. Israeli commandos flew in secret within three Hercules transport planes and rescued the hostages, receiving one casualty, the leader of the commandos, to Ugandan military fire from a control tower. One hostage died, an elderly lady who had been taken to hospital was the next day shot by Ugandan President Idi Amin. The controller of air traffic control was also arrested by Idi Amin, and tortured, but escaped from prison. Research Entebbe
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