Ah, had forgotten this. The more things change, the more they stay the same- “18 Reasons Given by Idi Amin Dada for the January 25, 1971, Military Coup Against Milton Obote”:
1. Detention of people without trial
2. Abuse of human rights and torture of civilians
3. Political killings and use of force against civilians
4. Violation of the 1962 Constitution
5. Dictatorship and one-man rule by Obote
6. Corruption in government
7. Tribalism and nepotism in public service
8. Misuse of the Uganda Army for political repression
9. Marginalisation of some regions and ethnic groups
10. Economic mismanagement, causing hardship
11. Suppression of political opponents
12. Lack of free and fair elections
13. Threats to senior army officers, including Amin himself
14. Favouritism within the army, causing divisions
15. Breakdown of law and order
16. Disregard of traditional institutions, including kingdoms
17. Foreign interference in Uganda’s internal affairs
18. Loss of public confidence in Obote’s leadership
Soldiers scolding the wife of Kyagulanyi when they invaded their home last night: “… you got married to that traitor of a Muganda, weren’t you seeing the Banyankore?”
Has this become a crime too! What kind of country are we building! Is this building peace and coexistence? A national army?
What Died When We Lived!
No empire in history has ever truly collapsed and been restored in its original form. Some have undergone successive iterations or restorations, though these were invariably diminished re-inventions that lacked the absolute hegemony of the original state.