A Horrific Legacy
Aug 17, 2003
IDI Amin is gone. He is dead; he is buried. <br>The death on Saturday of, by far the most notorious Ugandan that ever lived, is a relief to millions of his living compatriots, and to many more around the world who witnessed his extremism with horror and fascination.
IDI Amin is gone. He is dead; he is buried.
The death on Saturday of, by far the most notorious Ugandan that ever lived, is a relief to millions of his living compatriots, and to many more around the world who witnessed his extremism with horror and fascination.
Idi Amin has been a by-word for brutality. It is for the killing of anywhere between 300,000 and 500,000 Ugandans that his name shall forever be preserved in infamy.
It is a shame that he was never brought to book for his lead role in the darkest chapter of our history. He was fortunate to have lost power in an era before the international community created world courts to try extreme abusers of human rights.
But beyond the killings, Amin is responsible for so much more that Ugandans have to live with a quarter of a century later. Indeed, many Ugandans, about half of who are below 35 years of age, do not have a full appreciation of the murderous regime. But like everyone else today, and possibly for generations to come, they are all affected by the social and economic break up he engendered.
The economy is only just getting back to the productive capacity of 1970 (but with three times the population). We still have a poor work ethic, brought on by the undermining of merit as a measure for professional, social and economic advancement. Disrespect for order on the road, in classrooms, in offices and in the market are the direct result of Amin’s era of lawlessness.
The man may be dead. He may also be difficult to forget and, for many, to forgive. But the biggest challenge for us surviving Ugandans is to fully extricate ourselves from the horrific legacy he has left us with.
Ends
The death on Saturday of, by far the most notorious Ugandan that ever lived, is a relief to millions of his living compatriots, and to many more around the world who witnessed his extremism with horror and fascination.
Idi Amin has been a by-word for brutality. It is for the killing of anywhere between 300,000 and 500,000 Ugandans that his name shall forever be preserved in infamy.
It is a shame that he was never brought to book for his lead role in the darkest chapter of our history. He was fortunate to have lost power in an era before the international community created world courts to try extreme abusers of human rights.
But beyond the killings, Amin is responsible for so much more that Ugandans have to live with a quarter of a century later. Indeed, many Ugandans, about half of who are below 35 years of age, do not have a full appreciation of the murderous regime. But like everyone else today, and possibly for generations to come, they are all affected by the social and economic break up he engendered.
The economy is only just getting back to the productive capacity of 1970 (but with three times the population). We still have a poor work ethic, brought on by the undermining of merit as a measure for professional, social and economic advancement. Disrespect for order on the road, in classrooms, in offices and in the market are the direct result of Amin’s era of lawlessness.
The man may be dead. He may also be difficult to forget and, for many, to forgive. But the biggest challenge for us surviving Ugandans is to fully extricate ourselves from the horrific legacy he has left us with.
Ends