The Unseen Archive of Idi Amin

Book excerpt: This trove of recently discovered photographs offers an unprecedented opportunity to take a closer look at Idi Amin's dictatorship and its impact on Ugandan history. Chosen from a collection of 70,000 negatives from the archive of the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, the images in this remarkable collection were taken by Amin's personal photographers between the 1950s and mid-1980s. Like many dictators, Amin used photography as a means of spreading propaganda that would flatter his regime while obscuring its failures and abuses. Organized into thematic sections, these photographs show how Amin sought to gain support for acts such as his expulsion of tens of thousands of South Asians in 1972 and for the "Economic War," in which citizens charged with petty theft were tried and executed. There are also fascinating insights into the ways Amin hoped to promote Ugandan arts and culture, including a food-eating competition in Kampala and ceremonial visits to remote villages. The book includes revelatory archival documents recently unearthed concerning the Amin government. Essays by the authors, both experts in the field, help provide a context for the archive, as well as insights into how the lessons learned from this dark period of African history can shine a light towards a brighter future for Uganda and its people.