Idi Amin Dada becomes new Head of African Organization
The New York Times
July 29, 1975
KAMPALA, Uganda, July 28 —President Idi Amin of Uganda became chairman of the 46 nation Organization of African Unity tonight.
To the frequent cheers of an audience that included 19 leaders of African governments and the representatives of 24 other nations, President Amin said in his 13‐minute acceptance speech: “I will not embarrass you because you have had the confidence in me to elect me.”
The chairmanship of this group of black Africans and Arab countries goes traditionally to the head of the host nation for the organization’s annual meeting. President Amin, who, as expected, was nominated at the opening session today, will serve as chairman for a year.
Three nations are boycotting this year’s meeting, the organization’s 12th conference. Botswana, Tanzania and Zambia are not attending because they oppose the Uganada leader.
Tanzania recently leveled a strong attack on Uganda, charging the Government here with responsibility for what a statement called many thousands of murders and atrocities. Tanzania condemned what she called the African practice of playing up white atrocities in Africa while ignoring those committed by blacks.
Some delegates here have suggested that since the leaders here number seven to 10 fewer than has been normal in recent years, other nations have been conducting a “fence‐straddling” operation short of an actual boycott.
A number of African publications have also opposed the choice of Kampala as a meeting site and the chairmanship of President Amin. Several African diplomats expressed private fears that President Amin might he “the broker for the Arabs” or might “embarrass the continent” by making rash statements as chairman of the organization. Most of these diplomats have not made their fears public.
President Amin denied the alegations of murder and atrocities in an interview yesterday, saying that Tanzania’s PresiIdent, Julius K. Nyerere, had been told “a lot of lies” by Uganda exiles livnig in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s capital. During his brief speech tonight President Amin—dressed in civilian clothes and speaking in an unusually subdued voice—said: “I have nothing against Tanzania, our brothers and sisters. I will never be against them.”
Leaders here are representing Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon. Cape Verde, the Congo Republic, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea‐Bissau, Libya, Mauritania, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan Uganda and Zaire.