The sand in the hourglass says its time for another edition of Guerilla Funk. We have a Feature Edition in store, as we explore the legacy of former Ugandan Prime Minister Idi Amin.
We set it off with our usual roundup of important News around the world.
Its a Humanitarian disaster in Sierra Leone following flooding and mudslides which have left at least 300 people dead. With 600 people still missing in Freetown, President Ernest Bai Koroma described the humanitarian challenge ahead as “overwhelming”. In order to assist, we’ve changed the Link on our Facebook Page’s ‘Donate’ button to direct you to the Emergency Relief Crowdfunding Campaign thats been set up to alleviate the Humanitarian crisis in Sierra Leone.
Please click on the ‘Sign Up’ button to donate, and help out with the relief effort if you can.
Meanwhile in the US, Trump continues to be divisive following his comments on the recent wave of Race Riots which have basically unmasked the real state of Race relations in America. We included a link to an opinion piece by Donald Collins which is poignant and sums up Black and Liberal America’s sense of betrayal.
India also celebrated 70 years of Independence, and its legacy is examined in particular, the consequences of the British Partitioning of India and Pakistan in 1947 that destabilised the Region, and whose consequences are still felt today.
Idi Amin: Legacy
Idi Amin Dada was the President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979.
Amin was born in either Koboko or Kampala, in 1946 he joined the King’s African Rifles (KAR) of the British Colonial Army. Initially a cook, he rose to the position of lieutenant, taking part in British actions against Somali rebels in the Shifta War and then the Mau Mau rebels in Kenya.
Following Uganda’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1962, Amin remained in the armed forces, rising to the position of major and being appointed Commander of the Army in 1965. Aware that Ugandan President Milton Obote was planning on arresting him for misappropriating army funds, Amin launched a 1971 military coup and declared himself President.
During his years in power, Amin shifted from being a pro-western ruler, enjoying considerable Israeli support to being backed by Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, Zaire’s Mobutu Sese Seko, the Soviet Union, and East Germany. In 1975, Amin became the chairman of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), a Pan-Africanist group designed to promote solidarity among African states.
In 1977, when Britain broke diplomatic relations with Uganda, Amin declared he had defeated the British and added “CBE”, for “Conqueror of the British Empire”, to his title. Radio Uganda then announced his entire title: “His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Alhaji Dr. Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE”.
Dissent within Uganda and Amin’s attempt to annex the Kagera Region of Tanzania in 1978 led to the Uganda–Tanzania War and the demise of his eight-year regime. Amin then went into exile, first in Libya and then in Saudi Arabia, where he lived until his death on 16 August 2003.
After watching the Documentary, ‘Idi Amin: Self Portrait’, over the years, I formed the impression that Idi Amin was somewhat of a Tragic, Pan-Africanist, Narcissistic Megalomaniac.
In the documentary, Idi Amin is followed around Uganda during the height of his Presidency, and he speaks for himself giving us insight into his personal and political idiosyncrasies. Whilst one cannot ignore Idi Amin’s personal flaws (…and there are many on display!), there is a tragic and simplistic sincerity in his actions.
For instance, Idi Amin clearly sympathised with women and sought to reform Uganda from a Patriarchal Society by integrating women into the Civil service and other Professions. His antics on the world stage which culminated in the infamous 1976 ‘Entebbe Incident’ in which Amin allowed an Air France airliner from Tel Aviv to Paris that had been hijacked by two members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLO) to land at Uganda’s Entebbe Airport, eventually soured Uganda’s international relations, leading the United Kingdom to close its High Commission in Uganda.
Amin’s expulsion of Asians from Uganda was also another controversial Policy which devastated the Ugandan Economy. The policy was meant to address the disproportionate Economic power wielded by Asians as part of Uganda’s Colonial legacy by transferring control of the Ugandan economy back to native Ugandans.
In the end, Idi Amin died in exile, a victim of his own megalomania and Western Neo-Colonialism. His erratic domestic and foreign policies no doubt played a major role in his demise. Its quite ironic that despite all his Anti-Western rhetoric, Idi Amin took great pride in his accomplishments as a Soldier, firstly in the British and then Ugandan Army.
Indeed, his experiences in the British Army seemed to have moulded his leadership style significantly, but his ‘Militarism’ was not sufficiently well defined and nimble to survive the challenges posed by Neo-Colonialism at odds with his Individual, Nationalist and Pan-Africanist aspirations.
The Amin documentary in our ‘Guerilla Funk’ YouTube Playlist is highly recommended as a rare and stark portrait of a Post-Colonial African leader, lest we forget his remarks on BBC Radio in which he dismissed Queen Elizabeth because she would infect him with Syphilis.
That basically sums up Idi Amin, brash, unapologetic, ruthless but lacking in tact.
Links to all the lead stories, as well as the alternative News sources we’ve now introduced, namely, the Corbett Report and Alex Jones’ ‘Info Wars’ are below. The mainstream News links will be limited to the featured News Stories going forward so you can catch up on the latest ‘Conspiracy Theories’ from some of the best sources, in addition to the mainstream News as well.
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Enjoy……One!!
Links & Credits
Sierra Leone: http://citizen.co.za/news/news-africa/1611854/sierra-leone-mourns-100-children-among-dead-in-massive-flooding/
India Independence: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/partition_a_country_divided_and_its_70_year_legacy
US Race Riots: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/08/black-historians-wrong-170816071925403.html
Idi Amin: https://www.upi.com/Archives/2001/05/27/Feature-Uganda-Idi-Amins-legacy/2772990936000/
Wikipedia.com
News & Culture
Corbett Report: https://www.corbettreport.com/
Info Wars: https://www.infowars.com/
XXL Magazine: http://www.xxlmag.com/
Afro Pop Scene: http://www.afrobeat360.com/
