KAMPALA: The Army today [Jan 25] claimed to have ousted President Obote of Uganda after 12 hours of bloody fighting between rival factions of the armed force. A Ugandan Army spokesman announced over Radio Kampala that Maj-Gen Idi Amin Dada will be responsible for the Government after today’s [army] takeover.

The Inspector General of Police in Uganda, Mr E. W. Oryema said in a broadcast special announcement today that the country now had a military government. He said he would be responsible for police under the Commander of the Uganda Army and Air Force, Maj-General Idi Amin Dada. …

Troops today surrounded Parliament and the residence of President Milton Obote. The Radio announcer said the Army “has taken over the government because it was totally dissatisfied with Obote’s economic policies and corruption and tribalism in the government.”

Obote, President of the former British protectorate since 1966, was en route home today from last week’s Commonwealth conference in Singapore. ... Several Ugandans were killed when a tank fired a shell into the main entrance of Uganda’s Entebbe airport ... sources said. … Kampala Airport was closed […] and a plane flying from Nairobi turned back 80 miles from Entebbe. ...

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2021