Amin's plot (allegedly under Israeli auspices) was primarily driven by a concern to retain power over the military hence guaranteeing his own personal survival.

He is often referred to as one of the most brutal dictators in modern political history The 1971 coup is often cited as an example of "class action by the military", wherein the Uganda Army acted against a president it accused of "favouring ... [the] Langi tribe and "getting rich" at the expense of the common man.

[4] The Obote government pursued a policy of African nationalism, which antagonized the British and the Israeli governments—both of which maintained a strong presence in Uganda.

Here, some soldiers loyal to President Obote and members of the General Service Unit resisted the coup forces while some fighting also took place at the Kampala police college.

[11] After having seized control of the government, Amin moved to purge the military of political rivals, and orchestrated the murder of Langi soldiers (Obote's tribe) and their Acholi cousins .

With the approval of President of Tanzania Julius Nyerere, these Ugandan exiles formed a small guerilla army, and invaded Uganda in 1972.

Nevertheless, the conflict resulted in a sharp deterioration of relations between Uganda and Tanzania, which ultimately contributed to the Uganda–Tanzania War and the fall of Amin's regime in 1979.