‘Amin has many cases to answer’

Like the dead child in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, who comes back to haunt its parents, so is former Ugandan president Idi Amin Dada to the writing of the history of Uganda. Last week when two Bombardier CRJ-900 jets landed at Entebbe to mark the re-launch of the Uganda Airlines 18 years after it collapsed in May 2001, Amin like the airline, literally rose from the dead. It was during the regime of Amin January 25, 1971 – April 11, 1979) that in May 1976 the airline was established prior to starting operations in 1977. This year on April 11, marked 40 years since Amin was deposed.

The nostalgia was palpable. When time goes by, people tend to forget the past and even look at it differently. Amid the embellishment, it becomes difficult to get a very clear picture, especially if bitterness sets in along the way.

Amin’s regime was no doubt characterised by many good things for Uganda. The establishment of Uganda Airlines, Railways, building of several embassy premises abroad, including the Uganda House in New York, adjacent to the United Nations Head Quarters, are things often credited to Amin. Mark you when Amin was doing all this, Uganda was facing sanction and did not enjoy the pleasure of foreign aid. Likewise, he did not run up a huge debt for Uganda.

Uganda was considered a pariah State because of the human rights record of the regime and also the rather bold and maverick stand the regime in Kampala took on international matters. Uganda, for instance, openly supported the cause of the subjugated Palestinians and condemned the actions of the Jewish state of Israel, which is a sensitive matter to this day. It made him a foe with their American allies.
Others credit the Amin regime with opening up the economy to include indigenous Ugandans after the expulsion of Asians in 1972 and the forceful expropriation of their businesses. This put Amin and Uganda at logger heads with the British government many of whose citizens the expelled Asians were.

The Western world pulled out its effective ‘weapons of mass destruction.’ They were embargoes on Uganda’s main export, coffee to starve the regime of finances so as to make the people restless, leading to an internal rebellion.
They launched a negative media campaign against Amin’s regime. So the stories of the regime killing between 500,000 and one million people were sustained. One claimed that at some point, the streets and bushes were full of dead bodies that many stray dogs and hyenas died of obesity! The deaths and disappearances under the Amin’s regime, which some called the reign of terror vis-a-vis his contribution towards nation building, are the foundation of intense debates about Amin.

His supporters whom some call ‘apologists’ have thrown down the gauntlet and asked those who call Amin a killer to name all the 500,000 plus people that he killed. They further argue that Amin was a victim of not only a media campaign, but also a group of Ugandan exiles who sneaked into the country and killed people and then blamed it on Amin. They add that the exiles, especially in Kenya and Tanzania, would send letters through the post office to prominent Ugandans ‘thanking’ them for accepting to cooperate in eliminating Amin. Yet, they knew full well that Amin’s agents would read these letters then execute these people. They somehow use this as a basis to exonerate Amin.

The truth of the matter is that as a president, the cardinal responsibility of Amin was to ensure the well-being and protection of lives and property of the people he led. No amount of buildings, airplanes and good roads can bring back a life lost under one’s regime.
A president is only as good as the lives of his people. He swears to protect and preserve their lives. Then he assembles a team to help him deliver on this promise. This team are his agents for whose good deeds he takes credit and for whose failure the responsibility lies right at his feet. That is why executive power is quite immense. It comes with access to finance to help in implementing a good vision for the people so that there are no excuses. Thus a president hires and fires at his pleasure to help him get the right mix of people to fulfill this mandate.

The hospitals he ensures are built and takes credit for, the clean water, immunisation, housing, etc, are part of that pledge - to better and preserve lives. The guns and tear gas misused are his responsibility because he has the powers to sack and bring to order those who use them to terrorize the people. Anything that affects the lives of his people negatively is blamed on him and in a perfect situation if these are not delivered he is voted out of office.
When Adolf Hitler is blamed for the death of six million Jews it is not because he personally went to the gas chambers and herded the victims in. He as chief executive just presided over a system that led to the annihilation. He had the power to stop those who physically run the chambers and eliminated the Jews. Amin likewise had the power to regulate the actions of the State Research and other security agencies.

It is not enough to claim that he did not know what they were doing.
That is why Amin will always be held accountable for the death of Archbishop Janani Luwum, Abdula Anyuru, Festus Wawuyo, Frank Kalimuzo, Benedicto Kiwanuka, Oboth Ofumbi, Erinayo Oryema and all those who disappeared during his regime. It does not matter how many planes he bought or buildings he put up. That was part of his work which he did well and for which Uganda should forever be grateful. The deaths and disappearance during Amin’s time were his responsibility for which Amin should be judged.

Mr Sengoba is a commentator on political and social issues. [email protected]
Twitter:@nsengoba