The Republic of Uganda after Milton Obote and Idi Amin
Adventurer and researcher like legendary Stanley,Livingstone and Speke, Swaheli speaking slave traders like Ahmed Bin Ibrahim, protestant and catholic missionaries and commercial
Agents like Hamburg based Carl Peters went to the region in East Africa to establish their influence in the Kingdoms of Buganda, Toro and others. Uganda as an entity was created when the Imperial British East African Company was colonizing the kingdoms in the area after an Anglo-German Agreement in 1890.
It was Milton Obote to lead Uganda into independence as first elected Prime Minister after colonial times. However, shortly after coming to power he changed the constitution to become President for live. He abolished the kingdoms, banned other political parties and gave the army unlimited power to detain citizens without trial. He appointed Idi Amin his army commander but was deposed himself by Idi Amin in 1971. In the eighties he returned to power ousting Idi Amin who fled to Saudi-Arabia. The disastrous times of Idi Amin were over but times were not much better for the Ugandan people. The National Resistance Movement overturned despot Obote in 1986 and tried to heal the wounds and to end the suffering. Wartime has brought more poverty, collapse of economy, loss of confidence of foreign investors, deficits in public health and education. Not only that Uganda is suffering from most of the existing tropical diseases you can thin of but was hit hardest by the AIDS epidemic among all other countries in the world.
Meanwhile, Uganda found back to democratic rules, parliamentary and multiparty system, independent justice, freedom of speech and free press. Uganda’s fight against AIDS is very effective, economy is improving steadily, investments in infrastructure are done, mineral resources have been detected, government is fighting fiercely against corruption, education and public health are improving. Uganda has decided for „soft tourism“ and against mass tourism. With beautiful landscape, pleasant climate, well managed game parks, good service and safe travelling Uganda is very attractive for foreign visitors. Uganda is harbouring the largest number of mountain gorillas. Several families of wild mountain gorillas who are adapted to humans can be visited in the jungle. Guides of Uganda’s Wildlife Authority (UWA) accompany visitors who may spend an hour watching the animals in close distance of few meters only.
Germany's President Horst Köhler could inform himself about the great development Uganda has made in the past during his state visit to Uganda in 2009.
This is the Powerpoint Presentation at the symposium presented September 29,2008 at the symposion organized by /Afrika-Kollegium/ Hamburg, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (Handelskammer Hamburg) and German African Business Association (Afrika-Verein)
