Major General Idi Amin Inspecting Troops of the Malire Regiment After Anti-Obote Coup | January 1971

Sunday, January 31st 1971.

Footage of Major General Idi Amin, the Chief of Staff of the Uganadan Army, inspecting troops of the Malire Regiment at an Army barracks 8 days after overthrowing President Milton Obote.

Amin was expressing his thanks for the loyalty of the regiment which had been crucial in putting down the resistance offered by troops loyal to Obote. The Regiment was equipped with four Sherman Tanks and 10 Czech-built armoured personnel carriers.

Source of footage: Reuters News Archive.

Music: "Military Percussion (4)" by Chris Karan. ℗ 1971 KPM Music Ltd.

Note:

Founded by Idi Amin, the Malire Armoured Regiment was crucial to the creation by Amin of a personal power base within the Ugandan military, which he later used to position himself to effect the overthrow of President Obote.

The regiment, which was based close to the capital city of Kampala, was mostly composed of his ethnic kinsmen, the Kakwa, who he had appointed as company commanders and NCOs.

Amin's coup, which took place while Obote was out of the country, also relied on around 1,500 South Sudanese guerrillas.