Sex, Violence and History in the Lives of Idi Amin: Postcolonial Masculinity as Masquerade

Idi Amin, President of Uganda between 1971 and 1979, has become a contemporary icon of evil, exemplifying the idea of postcolonial Africa as an inevitable repetition of the 'heart of darkness'. This article argues that Amin's performance of gender and sexuality was central to the development of this iconic image, while a sexualized hyper-masculinity, linked to his colonial military background, was crucial in both Amin's rise to power and his manner of exercising it. Using both Lacanian theories of radical evil and anthropological analysis, the article concludes that Amin's image represents an historical imaginary concealing the realities of postcolonial power.