Not just fade away
Idi Amin: Home comforts
Idi Amin Dada Oumee (1924/25-2003) rose to be chief of the army and air force in newly independent Uganda and went on to depose president Milton Obote in a coup in 1971. He ruled Uganda until 1979.
Amid reports that 100,000-300,000 Ugandans had been tortured and killed during Amin's despotic and unpredictable presidency, Tanzanian and Ugandan exile forces invaded Uganda in October 1978. Amin fled to Libya but was reportedly forced out after an altercation between his security guards and Libyan police. He then set up home in Saudi Arabia, at the invitation of the late King Faisal.
Amin seemed to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle courtesy of his Saudi hosts. Uganda's New Vision newspaper interviewed him in Jeddah in 1999 and reported that he had moved from a house in the city centre 'to a more exclusive area ... mainly occupied by powerful oil sheikhs'. No doubt the move provided more suitable accommodation for Amin's very large family. Estimates of the number of his children – and wives – varied, but 30 seems about the mean for the former and there was certainly more than one of the latter.
In the same interview with New Vision, Amin said he still receives Ugandan foodstuffs from his home town of Koboko. He also described his favourite pastimes as fishing in the Red Sea, watching sports and CNN, and playing the accordion.
Amin died of kidney failure on 16 August 2003 in Jeddah. Buried there the next day, as prescribed by Islam, few attended his funeral.
Find out more
Killer File: Idi Amin
www.moreorless.au.com/killers/amin.htm
A concise account of Amin's infamous career.
Uganda Mission: Idi Amin, Still in the News
www.ugandamission.net/aboutug/articles/amin.html
A collection of articles about Amin since his downfall.
