The Cost of Protest

opposition to Amin’s military regime means virtually instant death even to those who would seem to have a degree of unimity by virtue of their personal wealth or position in Ugandan society. In the last year several of Amin’s political aides and friends have ‘been found’ murdered. Even several of the countrie’s foreign ambassadors and judges have ‘vanished’.

In fact Amin has introduced refén after reign of terror throughout the country, and institutionalised his own particular brand of fascism in order to keep himself in power. Semi-illiterate; he was weened on British militarism from his youth. When it suited Britain’s imperialist interests in Africa he was quickly promoted through the ranks of the Ugandan Army to the rank of General and given limited backing by Britain to stage a. successful military takeover. As Uganda’s new premier Amin soon found himself adopting the tactics he had learnt in the army to deal with problems which faced him all political opposition was immediately crushed.

The Ugandan economy which was in a terrible state with racing inflation and low wages, threatened Amin’s position when he came to power. The small trade union movement and political opposition threatened to mobilise mass support for large wage increases and economic stability. Amin could deliver neither. His reaction to this threat however was quick. — Within one year he had managed to buy off most of the Ugandan middle and aspiring middle class by expelling 50,000 Asians and seizing their property and money. His popularity grew as he sold the expropriated capital to Uganda’s own middle-class at considerably reduced rates. Workers forgot their wage demands temporarily in a massive propaganda campaign launched against all foreigners and Zionists who it was alledged by Amin were waiting on internal disorder etc. to disrupt the day to day running of Uganda and then launch an invasion against the country. Virtually cut off from threatened to topple both them and thes US. backers from power. So Perle mgs Drawyrt boas in an attempt TT 08 ert De geile and worksss 72 SDTpet wt Se mitry s wom UP. ce tat mt me roe rf lw? ae Sr ee te pe FIRING SQUAD VICTIM the outside world due to the implementation of martial law in the country’s cities, Amin had got the breathing space he so desperately needed.

By the time the unfortunate Ugandan workers realised what was going on it was much too late to do anything about it. The trade union movement didn’t exist. All those who even dared speak out against Amin and his dictatorship had been removed. Demands for better wages and more food were now couched in whispers.

Amin is now consolidating his position daily and what must be realised is that there is little or no chance of open political opposition alone succeeding in Uganda. The Ugandan people must organise open political opposition and underground political/military opposition simultaneously if they are to succeed in ousting this dictator.

They cannot sit around and wait until another 50,000 pecple are butchered to serve the political needs of this modern day fascist.