Idi Amin Dada (30 May 1928 – 16 August 2003) served as a military dictator and the President of Uganda from 1971 until 1979. His career began in the King's African Rifles, a British colonial military unit, where he enlisted in 1946 and ascended to the rank of Major General, ultimately commanding the Ugandan Army. Amin seized power in a coup d'état in January 1971, ousting President Milton Obote, and later elevated his title to Field Marshal during his authoritarian rule.
Amin's administration became infamous for its severe human rights violations, political oppression, ethnic cleansing, and rampant corruption, with estimates of the death toll during his regime ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 victims. His governance was marked by economic turmoil and brutality, backed by leaders such as Muammar al-Gaddafi of Libya, as well as support from the Soviet Union and East Germany. In 1975, he presided over the Organisation of African Unity, promoting African unity, while Uganda controversially served on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights from 1977 to 1979.
Amin's self-aggrandizing titles included “His Excellency, President for Life," reflecting his megalomania. His regime faced increasing internal dissent and an attempted annexation of Tanzania's Kagera province, which culminated in the Uganda–Tanzania War, leading to his downfall. Ultimately, Amin fled into exile in Libya and Saudi Arabia, where he passed away on 16 August 2003.
