The former Ugandan president, the late Idi Amin’s regime, is one that will live on to be remembered by many Ugandans, as it was characterized by lots of brutality and killings.
Many events throughout Amin’s reign, such as the expulsion of Asians, the deaths of top Ugandan personalities, and his war on Tanzania, are all well documented, but one major particular one has not been given the right attention, which is the 1974 military coup attempt to overthrow him from power.
In March 1974, the Amin rule experienced an unsuccessful coup, and the head of the coup was no one other than Amin’s own cousin, Brigadier Charles Arube.
Brigadier Charles Arube, a cousin of Amin, orchestrated a coup attempt to depose Amin and expel many influential foreign-born soldiers from the Ugandan military.
Photo: Late Charles Arube
Arube, unlike Amin, was well-educated and had also received military training from the Soviet Union.
It is believed that Arube, who previously served as the army chief of staff, returned from the training course in the Soviet Union to find his position taken over by Brigadier Hussein Malera, a Sudanese national, something that annoyed him.
Despite seeking intervention from Amin, no action was taken, fueling Arube’s frustration. He convened a meeting with trusted officers, including Lt. Col. Elly Aseni, to discuss the grievances and plan a coup.
The coup was set for March 23, 1974. Capt. John Maturima was tasked with capturing Amin at his Kololo residence, while other units were assigned to seize strategic locations like Radio Uganda and Makindye Military Barracks.
Although the rebels initially succeeded in capturing much of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, Arube was killed by Amin as he attempted to capture him, resulting in the gradual collapse of the coup.
With the aid of loyal troops from outside the capital, the president was able to put down the coup after two days of heavy fighting.
After the coup, the Ugandan government claimed that Arube had committed suicide and initiated a limited purge of suspected dissidents in the army.
