Few dictators can compete with the brutal reputation of Idi Amin, who ruled Uganda in the 70s. His erratic behaviour and human rights abuses characterized this period, in which an estimated 100,000 to 500,000 people were killed. Much about the life of Amin is unknown, including his place and date of birth, his early life, his parents, and most intimate details of his reign. The year after his overthrow, 'The Rise and Fall of Idi Amin' was released, and although fairly accurate, perpetuated some myths surrounding his character, such as that he was a cannibal and mutilated his fourth wife. A recent attempt to understand the life of Amin has shown that at least some of these are unfounded, and suggested that the wife in question was mutilated by Amin's personal doctor after he impregnated her, and then botched an abortion attempt. Other sources think the doctor, who was discovered dead shortly after, had been set up by Amin. Most likely, this and many other horrors that characterized Amin's rule will never be free of myth. What is known with certainty is that Amin fled to Saudi Arabia after his downfall, where he remained without remorse until his death in 2003. His last wife lived a quiet life working a beauty parlor in London. She died in 2015, insisting to the end that her husband was innocent.
Bonus:
A 2006 film about this period, 'The Last King of Scotland', won Forest Whitaker an Oscar. As with much of Amin's life, the reason Academy Awards are called 'Oscars' has also been lost to history.
-E
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