Independence for Uganda
Uganda gained independence from Britain on October 9, 1962. On the day before, the protectorate's last governor Walter Coutts is joined here by the independent nation's first prime minister, Milton Obote, together with the Duke and Duchess of Kent.
Independence for Uganda
Uganda gained independence from Britain on October 9, 1962. On the day before, the protectorate's last governor Walter Coutts is joined here by the independent nation's first prime minister, Milton Obote, together with the Duke and Duchess of Kent.
Milton Obote
Milton Obote was independent Uganda's first prime minister. He abolished the country's traditional kingdoms. Obote became president in 1966, but was deposed by the commander of the Ugandan army, Idi Amin, on January 25, 1971. Obote was returned to power in a rigged election in 1980. His second term was marred by a repressive military operation that claimed the lives of tens of thousands.
Idi Amin
During Idi Amin's reign of terror between 1971 and 1979, hundreds of thousands were arrested, tortured and murdered. He fed his political opponents to crocodiles, or forced them to attack each other with hammers. Amin expropriated and expelled Uganda's Asian community. He died in exile in Saudi Arabia in 2003.
The liberation of Uganda
Help for troubled Uganda arrived from its neighbor, Tanzania, in 1979. Tanzanian troops, backed by Ugandan exiles, deposed Amin, ending eight years of tyranny. Milton Obote was returned to power in 1980. Yoweri Museveni succeeded him in 1986 and remains president to this day.
The pearl of Africa
Winston Churchill, who visited Uganda in the early 1900s, described it as the pearl of Africa. He was struck by its fertile land, luscious vegetation and majestic lakes, forests and mountains. Uganda's produce includes bananas, sugar cane, cotton and, above all, coffee.
Joseph Kony
Joseph Kony is one of the world's most wanted war crimes suspects. His "Lord's Resistance Army" (LRA) terrorised two million Ugandans in the north of the country over a period of 20 years. The LRA kidnapped some 20,000 children, turning them into child soldiers.
Kizza Besigye
Kizza Besigye is Uganda's main opposition leader and head of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). He has lost several elections, having failed to garner sufficient support among the population and has been unable to unite various opposition factions under his leadership. Since last year, he has been staging walk-to-work protests against high food prices and social injustice.
Security forces' brutality
Uganda's security forces frequently break up peaceful protests. Their tactics are brutal and mass arrests common. Activists say the police and paramilitary group are seldom called to account for human rights violations.
Homophobia
Homophobia is widespread in Uganda. In 2010 a newspaper published photos of gays and lesbians with their names and addresses. The result was a witch hunt. Repressive legislation on gays and lesbians in Uganda has been strongly condemned by the European Union and the United States.
AMISOM
In Somalia, Ugandan troops have been fighting al-Shabab militants side by side with Mogadishu's transitional government forces. Uganda's contingent is the largest in the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia AMISOM). Since it deployed troops to Somalia in early 2007, Uganda has been the target of al-Shabab attacks.
Elections 2011
Free, but not fair. That was the verdict of observers after the Ugandan elections in 2011. President Yoweri Museveni was able secure the electorate's support by making generous pre-election promises and by waging an expensive campaign. The constitution was amended in 2005 so he could run again in 2011.
Tourism
The source of the Nile, breathtaking mountainous scenery, forests, nature reserves and the opportunity to see chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, which are threatened species, in the wild, make Uganda a popular tourist destination. Lonely Planet gave it first place in its "Best in Travel: top countries for 2012."
President Yoweri Museveni
Once a critic of African presidents who refused to relinquish their hold on power, Museveni himself now evidently dreams of staying in power for ever. This would be a nightmare for the overwhelmingly young population, who have never known any other president. Museveni has been in office for 26 years. Author: Andrea Schmitdt / mc Editor: Susan Houlton.