Fellow citizens, ladies and gentlemen. We learnt from the BBC that Ugandan Presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi has promised to repatriate my fathers remains from his Islamic burial place in Saudi Arabia.
First, I would like to thank him for bringing up the matter again. I imagine that it should be beneficial for him to make such a statement during campaign season and at a time when the Ugandan people are revisiting the negative history that was maliciously propagated in regards to my father, the late Al Hajji Field Marshal Idi Amin. The youths now know he was a leader who did so much for his country and it's people, to the extent that he is considered by many Ugandans as the most patriotic leader the country has ever had. It wasn't a haphazard decision we took when the family decided to conduct his funeral in Saudi Arabia. Consultations from several stakeholders with diverging opinions were made including with officials in Uganda and the Royal Court of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques the late King Abdallah nine Abdul Aziz (Allah have mercy on him) personally telephoned us from Paris where he was on official visit, and offered his condolences as well as inquired on the burial arrangements. I told him about official items that my father specifically requested that we hand over to the Saudi King. This included a Ugandan flag and also his personal protection weapons, one which was made from France and had his name engraved on, plus other confidential documents. His Royal Highness the late Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz (Allah have mercy on.him too) personally came to mourn with us and discuss the matter. Other Saudi Royalty, diplomats from world embassies, as well as businessmen, African ambassadors and students, came for the Islamically prescribed three day funeral. We are grateful that prayers were conducted for my father simultaneously at Islam's three Holiest Mosques: The Holy Mosque in Mecca, the Holy Mosque of the Prophet in Medina, and the Holy Al Aqsa Mosque in Palestine. We had also consulted officials in Kampala and had received the government position from spokesperson Ofwono Opondo by text message after I had kindly requested him to inquire with his seniors. Islamic religious leaders and scholars both in Saudi Arabia and Uganda were also consulted in line with my own father's request that whatever should happen to him, his funeral should be conducted strictly according to Islamic norms and rules. As the most senior son near my father when he died, Saudi law required that I sign the final decision before we could go for the funeral. The decision was handed to the Saudi Royal court for their official records together with a copy of my passport. And that is how we all came to the decision on where my father Al Hajji Field Marshal Idi Amin, will lay to rest. However since the repatriation idea has also been suggested as a meaningful vehicle for Uganda's national reconciliation, allow me to offer instead that we his family join the country to mourn the Late Archbishop Janan Luwum at the upcoming memorial. I believe it is a worthy conciliatory gesture for us to at least be present at this important national ceremony scheduled for 16/02/2016. In this regard I hope that we could be officially invited by the memorial's organizing committee. Kind Regards, Hussein Lumumba Amin. Kampala, Uganda. Tel: +256 750 129999 Date: 10/02/2016.
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