Idi Amin: "Tanzanians Are My Brothers and Sisters" | Wants Arab Investment in Africa | August 1975

August 1975.
Footage of President Idi Amin, the military dictator of Uganda giving a press conference at which he referred to Tanzanians as "borthers and sisters". He also called for more Arab investment in Africa.
Reuters Transcript:
"I think I am speaking now to you at this moment, not as Chairman of the OAU, but as President of the Republic of Uganda. As Uganda is concerned we don't have any feeling against Tanzania. We consider them as our brothers and our sisters, and I would never even enter Tanzania one inch by our military forces--even the police force--they would never. And I would say give them all facilities, and we are in the same East African community, OAU, Non-Aligned, united Nations, we have even Tanzanians working here in the East African Community post and tele-communications which we hope to see them building which is coming up and some of the workers just next to the conference centre and they are very happy. Even this building of OAU, the chairman of the East African Community basic assembly is a Tanzanian who comes really from a west Tanzanian state. I think related to Tanzania's President, and most of them are ....(INDISTINCT)....And therefore for my part I think I don't feel better if the committee comes to consider the case between Uganda and Tanzania to go to Tanzania I think. For me here I just want to assure you as President of Uganda and as Chairman of the OAU, I want peace and Unity in Africa and in the world.
"I think it's most important Africa asking Arabs for cooperation is very important because, Arabs are not well known in Africa, and also Arabs ... they are investing more of their money in bullion in europe. This makes the industry in Europe to be very prosperous, and also we are buying all the raw ... the material which we sent them from here they are selling a giant to us, but I'm sure when the Arabs invest in Uganda we shall be in a good position, not only to sell to the people in the world only at the cost of production alone, but including the industrial maturity because we have got the raw materials in Africa. I think this ... this region must have more industry in Africa, so that you will find that in a few years to come we shall be stronger economically in Africa, even compared to other people in the world."
Source: Reuters News Archive.
NB.
Tensions between Tanzania and Uganda were often high during the rule of Idi Amin. Amin overthrew President Milton Obote in 1971, when he was a major general and army chief of staff. Obote was a political ally of President Julius Nyerere of Tanzania.
There were border clashes during the 1970s and one in 1978 germinated into a full-scale war in which Tanzania defeated the Ugandan military, causing Amin's overthrow.

[@andrefalksmen1264]

I'm always disappointed and disgusted when I see Africans begging for investment from other people, it's never going to happen.
Unless they have Direct Control, the biases of the majority of people toward Africans will prevent them from ever placing money in Africa at risk, other than pity money. However, what makes it more absurd is that African countries, all African countries have the resources at hand to finance their own development without resorting to foreign direct investment.
If they would stop acting like Petty tribal Chiefs granting concessions to foreign companies and would organize and discipline their older population to harness the natural resources, they could easily sell those resources and use the money to hike up the value-added chain.
Case in point, the cost of iron ore has floated around $150 per ton, while the average cost to build a steel mill is about $1,000 per ton of capacity, so it takes roughly 6.5 tons of raw iron ore to purchase one ton of Steel making capacity. A healthy adult male on average in mine 200 tons a day.

[@musisir1927]

It's so amazing how history can be totally misleading

[@MYEVENTSHERE]

They had to silence him . that is the weapon they used. Where is all this never aired interview coming out of after he had died??.

[@shukurumsuwakollo2264]

Absolutely true!

[@lewismpangala927]

Good man Amin

[@Kim19onlinetv]

Vita vikiibuka kitu cha kwanza kuuwawa ni ukweli maana ukweli ni adui wa vita

[@eliudamunime5492]

This is exactly why I'm convinced that his story was never fairly told

[@aminuyusuf7970]

True brother!

[@aminuyusuf7970]

No man can be as bad as they painted him

[@amanimeela1106]

How?

[@elipidhugotesha1909]

His actions and words were contradicting each other

[@NOORMOHAMED-sg9lo]

Facist Idd Amin Dada He said a disgraceful word to TANZANIA He complained why was given Obote the first one.
He promised to attack Tanzania and finish the revolutionary party
He invaded the Kagera Region of Tanzania
Tanzanians were told by MWALIMU NYERERE to stop arguing and beat him until he was removed. (KAGERA WAR 1978/1979)
He fled to Libya and went into exile in Saudi Arabia until his death.
And President Sadaat of Egypt was killed in the field in public.
And their story ends in a minute .
AND THOSE WHO ARE GOOD HAVE LAST WITH HONOR DURING THEIR LIVES AND UNTIL TODAY AND THEY WILL CONTINUE THEIR NAMES TO LAST WITH HONOR AND PATRIOTISM, COURAGE, KINDNESS HERO'S
WITH THOSE WHO WERE UNITY FOR THE LIBERATION OF ALL
VIVA TANZANIA (MWALIMU NYERERE)
VIVA MISRI (JAMAL ABDEL NASSER )
VIVA REVOLUTIONARY
VIVA HADHRAMOUT (YEMEN)
VIVA AFRICA
VIVA RUSSIA
VIVA YOWERI MUSEVENI
VIVA VLADIMIR PUTIN
VIVA MNANANGWA
VIVA RAMAPHOSA
VIVA NIGER
VIVA BURKINAFASO
VIVA MALI
VIVA GUINEA
VIVA CHAD
VIVA PALESTINE
VIVA moreeèeee and mooore
ALWAYS VIVA IN UNITY

[@bigbamo92]

So why did Tanzania invade them? To help Museveni?

[@geoffreysoloshija1909]

He invaded us before, at mutukura border

[@mutalemwabugeza1489]

I thought Amin was stubborn. In respect of his submitted speech, It seems he was never able to fight against Tz rather than political issues of those days

[@issalyanalijr-8610]

To help Milton Obote

[@keneokafor8327]

He was a terrible leader and a big buffoon