Why Idi Amin Lost Tanzania-Uganda War In 1979

This war was is called “The Kagera War” in Tanzania and Ugandans call it the ‘1979 Liberation war’.It was fought from October 1978 to June 1979 which resulted in overthrew of Ugandan president Idi Amin. War was caused by the invasion of Kagera province in Tanzania by Ugandan troops who were determined to annex. Idi Amin had claimed that it is part of Uganda after British negotiation with Germans before the second world war. They looted a lot of property and kill civilians.

President Nyerere declared war on Uganda and organized his troops to retake the annexed province. Ugandan rebels were grouped trained and armed by Tanzania to help them weaken Amin’s regime. They captured Entebbe Airport and inflicted heavy casualties on Libya Army that have been brought by Gaddafi to help Amin who in his view was a muslim who was being threatened by the christian state.

Tanzanian forces and Ugandan rebels seized Entebbe Airport and inflicted heavy casualties on Libyan troops that have been brought by Gaddafi. He dismissed his cabinet ministers and military officers at will. This shakeup strained his already narrow base of power. Like any other dictator, he started fearing for his life and began to withdraw from the public sphere.

Nyerere received support from Samora Machel of Mozambique after sending 800 battalions. Many African states and the Soviet Union support Tanzania with weapons and money. Many Ugandan troops were young and inexperienced thus incapable of taking part in actual combat, unlike Tanzanians who had the latest weapons which couldn’t be countered by the Ugandan military.

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