117-455: International incidents The Entebbe raid or Operation Entebbe , officially codenamed Operation Thunderbolt (retroactively codenamed Operation Yonatan ), was a 1976 Israeli counter-terrorist mission in Uganda . It was launched in response to the hijacking of an international civilian passenger flight (an Airbus A300 ) operated by Air France between the cities of Tel Aviv and Paris. During
234-548: A "friendly, caring person with social commitment", "very kind, very caring … normally a soft person, but at the same time … very disciplined". Kuhlmann and Böse eventually disappeared into the Frankfurt underground, socialising in left-wing circles where they were recruited into the Red Army Faction and were founding members of Revolutionary Cells. Although Revolutionary Cells had disagreements over strategy with
351-435: A 19-year-old French immigrant to Israel, stood up and was killed when Muki Betser and another soldier mistook him for a hijacker and fired at him. Another hostage, Pasco Cohen, 52, was also fatally wounded by gunfire from the commandos. In addition, a third hostage, 56-year-old Ida Borochovitch, a Russian Jew who had emigrated to Israel , was killed by a hijacker in the crossfire. According to hostage Ilan Hartuv, Wilfried Böse
468-642: A backdrop of Indophobia in Uganda, with Amin accusing a minority of the Asian population of disloyalty, non-integration and commercial malpractice, claims Indian leaders disputed. Amin defended the expulsion by arguing that he was giving Uganda back to the ethnic Ugandan. Many of the expellees were citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies and 27,200 subsequently emigrated to the United Kingdom . Of
585-410: A combination of mismanagement and abuse of power, cement factories at Tororo and Fort Portal collapsed from lack of maintenance and neglect, and sugar production all over the country gradually ground to a halt as unmaintained machinery jammed permanently. Uganda's export crops were sold by government parastatals, but most of the foreign currency they earned went for purchasing weapons and imports for
702-459: A counter-attack by former president Obote. Shortly after the expulsion of Asians in 1972, Obote did launch such an attempt across the Tanzanian border into south-western Uganda. His small army contingent in twenty-seven trucks set out to capture the southern Ugandan military post at Masaka but instead settled down to await a general uprising against Amin, which did not occur. A planned seizure of
819-643: A crew of 12. The plane flew to Athens, Greece, where it picked up an additional 58 passengers, including four hijackers. It departed for Paris at 12:30 pm. Just after takeoff, the flight was hijacked by two Palestinians from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – External Operations (PFLP-EO), and by two Germans, Wilfried Böse and Brigitte Kuhlmann , from the German Revolutionary Cells . The hijackers diverted
936-466: A declaration and formulated their demands. In addition to a ransom of US$ 5 million for the release of the airplane, they demanded the release of 53 Palestinian and pro-Palestinian militants, 40 of whom were prisoners in Israel. They threatened that if these demands were not met, they would begin to kill hostages on 1 July 1976. On 29 June, after Ugandan soldiers had opened an entrance to a room next to
1053-435: A distanced and unsentimental way towards hostages. The aircraft landed at Entebbe, Uganda where Kuhlmann and her team were met by associates in the country, including a man identified by the press as Anton Degas Bouvier (but probably Fouad Awad), Abdel al-Latif, and Abu Ali. During the week-long standoff Kuhlmann and her associates made demands of Israel , including the release of Palestinian political prisoners, as well as
1170-653: A flight in Bahrain along with Abdul-Rahim Jaber, and Jayel Naji al-Arjam en route to Athens, Greece to connect with an Air France flight. Baggage handlers at the airport in Bahrain ensured their firearms and grenades were smuggled onto the aircraft undetected in their carry-on luggage. In Athens they transferred to the Air France aircraft, an Airbus A300 which took off for Paris as Flight 139 shortly after midday. Within minutes Kuhlmann and her accomplices hijacked
1287-541: A plaque bearing a history of the raid. The ceremony was attended by Ugandan State Minister for Animal Industry Bright Rwamirama and the deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel Daniel Ayalon , who laid wreaths at the site. Forty years to the day after the rescue operation, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, brother of slain Israeli commando Yonatan Netanyahu, visited Entebbe with an Israeli delegation, and laid
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#17327807533801404-540: A possible raid. Mossad built an accurate picture of the whereabouts of the hostages, the number of hijackers, and the involvement of Ugandan troops, based on information from the released hostages in Paris. Further, Israeli firms had been involved in construction projects in Africa during the 1960s and 1970s: while preparing the raid, the Israeli army consulted with Solel Boneh , a large Israeli construction firm that had built
1521-406: A ransom from France . They also demanded the release of their allies Werner Hoppe, Jan-Carl Raspe , Ingrid Schubert , Ralf Reinders, Fritz Teufel , and Inge Viett . Israelis were separated from non-Israelis and the threat of execution was made if the demands were not met. The non-Israeli passengers were, as a rule, set free, and that included many Jews, with the hijackers explicitly having told
1638-511: A result of his regime is unknown; estimates from international observers and human rights groups range from 100,000 to 500,000. From Uganda 's independence from Great Britain in 1962 to early 1971, Milton Obote 's regime had terrorized, harassed, and tortured people. Frequent food shortages led to food prices experiencing hyper-inflation , with one contributing factor being Obote's persecution of Indian traders . During Obote's regime, flagrant and widespread corruption had emerged. The regime
1755-563: A sense of history believed that the Muslim defeat by Christians in 1889 was finally being redressed. Christians, in turn, perceived that they were under siege as a religious group; it was clear that Amin viewed the churches as potential centres of opposition. A number of priests and ministers disappeared in the course of the 1970s, but the matter reached a climax with the formal protest against army terrorism in 1977 by Church of Uganda ministers, led by Archbishop Janani Luwum . Although Luwum's body
1872-605: A special envoy to negotiate with the hostage takers and with Amin. However, the PFLP-EO hijackers refused to see him. When Israeli authorities failed to negotiate a political solution, they decided that their only option was an attack to rescue the hostages. Lt. Col. Joshua Shani , lead pilot of the operation, later said that the Israelis had initially conceived of a rescue plan that involved dropping naval commandos into Lake Victoria . The commandos would have ridden rubber boats to
1989-474: A stopover in Athens, the aircraft was hijacked by two Palestinian PFLP–EO and two German RZ members, who diverted the flight to Libya and then to Uganda, where they landed at Entebbe International Airport to be joined by other terrorists. Once in Uganda, the group enjoyed support from Ugandan dictator Idi Amin . Having hijacked the flight of 248 passengers on 27 June 1976, the terrorists took hostages with
2106-466: A sweep of the airfield to gather intelligence. After the raid the Israeli assault team returned to their aircraft and began loading the hostages. Ugandan soldiers shot at them in the process. The Israeli commandos returned fire, inflicting casualties on the Ugandans. During this brief but intense firefight, Ugandan soldiers fired from the airport control tower . At least five commandos were wounded, and
2223-585: Is reported that Uganda lost 75% of its elephants, 98% of its rhinos, 80% of its crocodiles, 80% of its lions and leopards, in addition to numerous species of birds. Amin attempted to establish ties with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – External Operations in June 1976, when he offered the Palestinian hijackers of an Air France flight from Tel Aviv a protected base at the old airport at Entebbe , from which to press their demands in exchange for
2340-658: The Organization of African Unity (OAU) initially refused to accept the legitimacy of the new military government. Nyerere, in particular, opposed Amin's regime, and he offered hospitality to the exiled Obote, facilitating his attempts to raise a force and return to power. Amin's military experience, which was virtually his only experience, determined the character of his rule. He renamed Government House "the Command Post ", instituted an advisory defence council composed of military commanders, placed military tribunals above
2457-567: The Uganda People's Congress (UPC) coalition that it had replaced. The army itself was an arena of lethal competition, in which losers were usually eliminated. Within the officer corps, those trained in Britain opposed those trained in Israel, and both stood against the untrained, who soon eliminated many of the army's most experienced officers. In 1966, well before the Amin era, northerners in
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#17327807533802574-474: The Uganda-Tanzania War , which ended with Tanzania occupying Uganda and Amin fleeing into exile. The Ugandan economy was devastated by Idi Amin's policies, including the expulsion of Asians , the nationalisation of businesses and industry, and the expansion of the public sector . The real value of salaries and wages collapsed by 90% in less than a decade. The number of people killed as
2691-544: The 1 July deadline the Israeli cabinet offered to negotiate with the hijackers to extend the deadline to 4 July. Amin also asked them to extend the deadline until that date. This meant he could take a diplomatic trip to Port Louis , Mauritius, to officially hand over chairmanship of the Organisation of African Unity to Seewoosagur Ramgoolam . This extension of the hostage deadline proved crucial to providing Israeli forces enough time to get to Entebbe. On 3 July at 18:30,
2808-466: The 1970s resembled the governments of nineteenth-century African monarchs, with the same problems of enforcing orders at a distance, controlling rival factions at court, and rewarding loyal followers with plunder. Indeed, Amin's regime was possibly less efficient than those of the pre-colonial monarchs. Religious conflict was another characteristic of the Amin regime that had its origins in the nineteenth century. After rediscovering his Islamic allegiance in
2925-454: The 22 top generals and 75% of the cabinet. Similarly, Muslims formed 80% and 87.5% of these groups even though they were only 5% of the population. This helps explain why Amin survived eight attempted coups. The Ugandan army grew from 10,000 to over 25,000 by 1978. Amin's army was largely a mercenary force. Half the soldiers were Sudanese, 26% Congolese, only 24% were Ugandan, mostly Muslim and Kakwa. On 7 August 1973, Idi Amin decreed Swahili
3042-522: The British authorities as well as recommendations of support and the sale of arms to the new regime. In any case, Amin decided to forestall Obote and strike first. In the early morning hours of 25 January 1971, mechanized army units loyal to him attacked strategic targets in Kampala and the airport at Entebbe , where the first shell fired by a pro-Amin tank commander killed two Roman Catholic priests in
3159-562: The C-130s landed, Israeli assault team members drove the vehicles to the terminal building in the same fashion as Amin. As they approached the terminal, two Ugandan sentries, aware that Idi Amin had recently purchased a white Mercedes, ordered the vehicles to stop. The first commandos shot the sentries using silenced pistols. This was against the plan and against the orders – the Ugandans were to be ignored, as they were believed not to be likely to open fire at this stage. An Israeli commando in one of
3276-485: The Entebbe Air Base commander, who was absent from his post during the raid. Sule had left the air base early that day to meet a female companion at Lake Victoria Hotel on 4 July. Despite Adrisi's demands, Sule's closeness to President Amin guaranteed his safety. Dora Bloch, a 74-year-old Israeli who also held British citizenship, was taken to Mulago Hospital in Kampala after choking on a chicken bone. After
3393-657: The Israeli cabinet approved a rescue mission, presented by Major General Yekutiel Adam and Brigadier General Dan Shomron . Shomron was appointed as the operation commander. As the crisis unfolded, attempts were made to negotiate the release of the hostages. According to declassified diplomatic documents, the Egyptian government under Sadat tried to negotiate with both the PLO and the Ugandan government. PLO chairman Yasser Arafat sent his political aide Hani al-Hassan to Uganda as
3510-420: The Israeli government initially debated over whether to concede or respond by force, as the hijackers had threatened to kill the 106 captives if the specified prisoners were not released. Acting on intelligence provided by Mossad , the decision was made to have the Israeli military undertake a rescue operation. The Israeli plans included preparation for an armed confrontation with Amin's Uganda Army . Initiating
3627-447: The Israeli hostage group by their own choice. On 30 June the hijackers released 48 hostages. The released were picked from among the non-Israeli group – mainly elderly and sick passengers and mothers with children. Forty-seven of them were flown by a chartered Air France Boeing 747 out of Entebbe to Paris, and one passenger was treated in hospital for a day. On 1 July, after the Israeli government had conveyed its agreement to negotiations,
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3744-401: The Israeli unit commander, Yonatan Netanyahu, was killed. Israeli commandos fired light machine guns and a rocket-propelled grenade back at the control tower, suppressing the Ugandans' fire. According to one of Idi Amin's sons, the soldier who shot Netanyahu, a cousin of the Amin family, was killed by return fire. The Israelis finished evacuating the hostages, loaded Netanyahu's body into one of
3861-607: The OAU meeting, boarded a plane and flew back to Uganda. An ex-agent of Uganda's intelligence service, the State Research Bureau , also claimed that Amin was informed by Lumago of the imminent raid. The agent stated that Amin was terrified of possible reprisals in case his troops actually fought the Israeli military, allegedly resulting in his ordering that the Uganda Army should not open fire on Israeli aircraft during
3978-528: The Red Army Faction, whom it viewed as too elitist, it felt an obligation to try to free their members after their arrests. This was especially true of Kuhlmann, who blamed herself for Ulrike Meinhof 's arrest in 1972; she had recommended to her a safe house in Langenhagen , but the owner had become suspicious and called the police. This hope to be able to free their comrades was a key reason for
4095-653: The Revolutionary Cells' decision to join forces with the offshoot of the PFLP led by Wadie Haddad in the Air France 139 hijacking. Kuhlmann did not provide her lover and comrade-in-arms Schnepel with any details about the mission she was going on besides the fact that it was dangerous and that she would be gone for some time. During the Air France 139 hijacking, Kuhlmann and Böse used the noms de guerre "Halima" and "Mahmood", respectively. On 27 June 1976, using an Ecuadorian passport Kuhlmann originally boarded
4212-575: The Security Council that the raid was "a serious violation of the sovereignty of a Member State of the United Nations" though he was "fully aware that this is not the only element involved ... when the world community is now required to deal with unprecedented problems arising from international terrorism." Abdalla, the representative of Uganda, alleged that the affair was close to a peaceful resolution when Israel intervened while Herzog,
4329-656: The Simba battalion in Mbarara led to their disappearances and, later, deaths. Several army officers who were suspected of having been involved in the murder of Stroh and Siedle were later appointed to high-ranking positions: Among these were Military Tribunal chairman Juma Butabika , chief technical officer of the airforce Captain Taban, Minister of Transport Juma Sabuni, and Minister for Provincial Administration Ali Fadhul . During his eight years as Uganda's ruler, Amin never forgot
4446-575: The US and Belgium and a French resident of Israel – were forced to join the Israeli group. According to Monique Epstein Khalepski, the French hostage among the five, the captors had singled them out for questioning and suspected them of hiding their Israeli identities. On the other hand, according to French hostage Michel Cojot-Goldberg, the captors failed to identify at least one Israeli among the passengers who
4563-427: The Ugandan army by quoting an old African proverb, which summed up to Amin's treatment of his army: "A dog with a bone in its mouth can't bite." With the Ugandan economy faltering, the rural African producers and farmers, particularly of coffee , turned to smuggling , especially to Kenya . The smuggling problem became an obsession with Amin; toward the end of his rule, he appointed his mercenary and political adviser,
4680-646: The United States in July 1978, verbal condemnation was not accompanied by action. In September 1978, Amin banned nearly all Christian Church activities for their subversiveness. By early 1978 Amin's circle of close associates had shrunk significantly — the result of defections and executions. Because of his violent temper as well as his erratic and unpredictable behaviour, it was increasingly risky to be too close to Amin, as his vice president and formerly trusted associate, General Mustafa Adrisi , discovered. When Adrisi
4797-468: The abuse said to have been "antisemitic in nature". According to hostage Ilan Hartuv, she "yelled and acted like a Nazi" and he subsequently referred to her as a "Nazi terrorist". Schnepel has conjectured that the reason for this behaviour, which he considers to be very different from her usual conduct, might have been that she "felt that as a woman she had to be ‘tougher’", as well as the fact that she had been trained and instructed by Wadie Haddad to act in
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4914-411: The aircraft. Kuhlmann took control of the first class cabin and pistol-whipped noncompliant passengers. The airliner was re-routed to Libya under the call sign "Haifa One". After landing at Benina International Airport , where some passengers were released, the hijacked A300 took off again, headed south into Central Africa. During the five-hour flight, Kuhlmann verbally abused the passengers, with much of
5031-509: The airport at Entebbe by soldiers in an allegedly hijacked East African Airways passenger aircraft was aborted when Obote's pilot blew out the aircraft's tires and it remained in Tanzania. Amin was able to mobilize his more reliable Malire Mechanical Regiment and expel the invaders. Although jubilant at his success, Amin realized that Obote, with Nyerere's aid, might try again. He had the SRB and
5148-453: The airport on the edge of the lake. They planned to kill the hijackers and after freeing the hostages, they would ask Amin for passage home. The Israelis abandoned this plan because they lacked the necessary time and also because they had received word that Lake Victoria was inhabited by the Nile crocodile . Amnon Biran , the mission's intelligence officer, later stated that the proper layout of
5265-471: The airport waiting room. Amin's troops easily overcame the disorganized opposition to the coup , and Amin almost immediately initiated mass executions of Acholi and Langi troops, whom he believed to be pro-Obote. The Amin coup was warmly welcomed by most of the people of the Buganda kingdom, which Obote had attempted to dismantle. They seemed willing to forget that their new president, Idi Amin, had been
5382-522: The airport was unknown, as was the exact location of the hostages and whether the building had been prepared with explosives. While planning the raid, the Israeli forces had to plan how to refuel the Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft they intended to use while en route to Entebbe. The Israelis lacked the logistical capacity to aerially refuel four to six aircraft so far from Israeli airspace. While several East African nations, including
5499-755: The army had assaulted and harassed soldiers from the south. In 1971 and 1972, the Lugbara and Kakwa (Amin's ethnic group) from the West Nile were slaughtering northern Acholi and Langi , who were identified with Obote. Then the Kakwa fought the Lugbara. Amin came to rely on Nubians and on former Anyanya rebels from southern Sudan . Amin recruited his followers from his own tribe, the Kakwas, along with Sudanese and Nubians. By 1977, these three groups formed 60% of
5616-572: The army. The most famous example of this was the so-called "whisky runs" to Stansted Airport in England during the early years of Amin's rule. Ugandan army transport planes flew thousands of miles to England where they were loaded with crates of expensive Scotch whisky , transistor radios , gold Rolex wristwatches, and other luxury items that were purchased for Amin and flown back to Uganda where they were distributed among Ugandan army officers and soldiers. Amin later justified his rewarding and doting on
5733-439: The banned DP, was seized directly from his courtroom. Like many other victims, he was forced to remove his shoes and then bundled into the trunk of a car, never to be seen alive again. Whether calculated or not, the symbolism of a pair of shoes by the roadside to mark the passing of a human life was a bizarre yet piercing form of state terrorism. During the eight years under Amin's rule, the Ugandan environment and ecological system
5850-564: The coercive arm of the government. The Ugandan General Service Unit (GSU), an intelligence agency created by the previous government, was disbanded and replaced by the Ugandan State Research Bureau (SRB). SRB headquarters at Nakasero became the scene of torture and executions over the next couple of years. Despite its outward display of a military chain of command, Amin's government was arguably more consumed with rivalries, regional divisions, and ethnic politics than
5967-462: The crowded waiting hall by destroying a separating wall, the hijackers separated the Israelis (including those holding dual citizenship) from the other hostages and told them to move to the adjoining room. As they did so, a Holocaust survivor showed hijacker Wilfried Böse a camp registration number tattooed on his arm. Böse protested "I'm no Nazi! ... I am an idealist." In addition, five non-Israeli hostages – two ultra-orthodox Jewish couples from
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#17327807533806084-477: The descendants of indentured servants and other laborers from India, 90 days to leave the country, and seized their property, homes and businesses. At the time of the expulsion, there were approximately 80,000 individuals of South Asian descent in Uganda, of whom 23,000 had had their applications for citizenship both processed and accepted. Although the latter were ultimately exempted from the expulsion, many chose to leave voluntarily. The expulsion took place against
6201-499: The details of the operation from Kenya Air Force officers who were discussing the possibility of Israeli compensation for the assistance and forwarded the information to Ugandan commander Isaac Maliyamungu . Maliyamungu did not alert Amin or take any action on the intelligence, allegedly dismissing the report as "gasiya" (rubbish). According to Amin's son, Jaffar Remo, the Ugandan president still managed to receive Lumago's warning via telephone and, after completing his responsibilities at
6318-425: The effort to gain foreign aid from Libya and Saudi Arabia , Amin began to pay more attention to the formerly deprived Muslims in Uganda, a move which turned out to be a mixed blessing for them. Muslims began to do well in what economic opportunities yet remained, the more so if they had relatives in the army. Construction work began on Kibuli Hill, the site of Kampala's most prominent mosque. Many Ugandan Muslims with
6435-477: The ensuing years Betser and the Netanyahu brothers – Iddo and Benjamin , all Sayeret Matkal veterans – argued in increasingly public forums about who was to blame for the unexpected early firefight that caused Yonatan's death and partial loss of tactical surprise. As a result of the operation the United States military developed rescue teams modelled on the unit employed in the Entebbe rescue. One notable attempt
6552-450: The event, Böse had fired at the soldiers and his Kalashnikov was still aimed at them when Hartuv saw his corpse. In the year after Kuhlmann's death, Lufthansa Flight 181 was hijacked by four militants of the PFLP, who called themselves "Commando Martyr Halima" in her honour. The demands were again to free far-left German prisoners as well as Palestinians ones. That operation also failed and
6669-497: The events has it that they were crouching to the left of the first Israeli commando to enter the room and were pointing their guns at him when a second one entered and killed them both in a barrage of automatic fire. According to another reconstruction, Böse threw a grenade at the soldiers, engaged in a shootout with the first commando and was killed in it, while the two killed by the second commando were Brigitte Kuhlmann and Faiz Jaber. According to hostage Ilan Hartuv's understanding of
6786-462: The flight to Benghazi , Libya. There it was held on the ground for seven hours for refuelling. During that time the hijackers released British-born Israeli citizen Patricia Martell, who pretended to have a miscarriage . The plane left Benghazi and at 3:15 pm on the 28th, more than 24 hours after the flight's original departure, it arrived at Entebbe Airport in Uganda. At Entebbe the four hijackers were joined by at least four others, supported by
6903-492: The following Land Rovers opened fire with an unsuppressed rifle. Fearing the hijackers would be alerted prematurely, the assault team quickly approached the terminal. The Israelis left their vehicles and ran towards the terminal. The hostages were in the main hall of the airport building, directly adjacent to the runway. Entering the terminal, the commandos shouted through a megaphone, "Stay down! Stay down! We are Israeli soldiers," in both Hebrew and English. Jean-Jacques Maimoni,
7020-402: The forces of Uganda's president, Idi Amin . The hijackers transferred the passengers to the transit hall of the disused former airport terminal where they kept them under guard for the following days. Amin came to visit the hostages almost on a daily basis, updating them on developments and promising to use his efforts to have them freed through negotiations. On 28 June a PFLP-EO hijacker issued
7137-570: The foreign adversary, Amin invaded Tanzanian territory and formally annexed a section across the Kagera River boundary on 1 November 1978. Declaring a formal state of war against Uganda, Nyerere mobilized his citizen army reserves and counter-attacked, joined by Ugandan exiles united as the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA). The Ugandan Army retreated steadily, expending much of its energy by looting along
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#17327807533807254-403: The former British citizen Bob Astles , to take all necessary steps to eliminate the problem. These steps included orders to the Ugandan police and army to shoot smugglers on sight. Karume Falls are open 24 hours [i.e. for disposal of bodies]. — An unnamed embassy official makes a cynical remark about state violence during Amin's regime. Another near-obsession for Amin was the threat of
7371-495: The groundwork for further Israeli–sub-Saharan African bilateral relations. Second Republic of Uganda This article is part of a series about Idi Amin Military career President of Uganda (1971–1979) Opposition and overthrow Media portrayals The Second Republic of Uganda existed from 1971 to 1979, when Uganda was ruled by Idi Amin 's military dictatorship . Amin's rule formally came to an end with
7488-575: The hijackers and 45 Ugandan soldiers, and eleven of Uganda's MiG-17s and MiG-21s were destroyed. Over the course of the operation in Uganda, Israel received support from neighbouring Kenya . Idi Amin subsequently issued orders for the Ugandan army to kill all Kenyans living in Uganda, leading to the deaths of 245 Kenyan-Ugandans and the exodus of around 3000 Kenyans from Uganda. On 27 June 1976 Air France Flight 139, an Airbus A300B4-203 , registration F-BVGG (c/n 019), departed from Tel Aviv , Israel, carrying 246 mainly Jewish and Israeli passengers and
7605-409: The hijacking and was removed from the plane for treatment prior to the commandos' arrival. The Israeli military suffered five wounded and one killed; Yonatan Netanyahu was Israel's sole fatality of Operation Entebbe, and had led Sayeret Matkal during the rescue effort – he was the older brother of Benjamin Netanyahu , who would later become Israel's prime minister. The Israeli commandos killed all of
7722-402: The hostage-takers extended their deadline to noon on 4 July and released another group of 100 non-Israeli captives who again were flown to Paris a few hours later. Among the 106 hostages staying behind with their captors at Entebbe airport were the 12 members of the Air France crew who refused to leave, about ten young French passengers, and the Israeli group of some 84 people. In the week before
7839-469: The hostages that they were "not against the Jews, only against Israel". However, six Jewish passengers (two Brazilians, two Belgians and two Americans) had been included in the Israeli group, presumably because they had been seen wearing Jewish prayer shawls and reciting morning prayers or had generally associated with the Israelis on the plane and on the ground before the separation. When the hostages asked for
7956-422: The hostages to a defunct airport, the hijackers separated all Israelis and several non-Israeli Jews from the larger group of passengers, subsequently moving them into a separate room. Over the next two days, 148 non-Israeli hostages were released and flown out to Paris. The 94 remaining passengers, most of whom were Israelis, and the 12-member Air France crew continued to be held as hostages. Representatives within
8073-700: The logistically preferred choice Kenya, were sympathetic, none wished to incur the wrath of Amin or the Palestinians by allowing the Israelis to land their aircraft within their borders. The raid could not proceed without assistance from at least one East African government. The Israeli government secured permission from Kenya for the IDF task force to cross Kenyan airspace and refuel at what is today Jomo Kenyatta International Airport . Kenyan Minister of Agriculture Bruce MacKenzie persuaded Kenyan President Jomo Kenyatta to permit Mossad to collect intelligence prior to
8190-502: The newly formed Public Safety Unit (PSU) redouble their efforts to uncover subversives and other imagined enemies of the state. General fear and insecurity became a way of life for the populace, as thousands of people disappeared. In an ominous twist, people sometimes learned by listening to the radio that they were "about to disappear." State terrorism was evidenced in a series of spectacular incidents; for example, High Court Judge Benedicto Kiwanuka , former head of government and leader of
8307-472: The number of weapons carried by the hostage-takers. The Israeli ground task force numbered approximately 100 personnel, and comprised the following elements: Taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh , the task force flew along the international flight path over the Red Sea , mostly flying at a height of no more than 30 m (100 ft) to avoid radar detection by Egyptian, Sudanese, and Saudi Arabian forces. Near
8424-439: The operation at nightfall on 3 July 1976, Israeli transport planes flew 100 commandos over 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) to Uganda for the rescue effort. Over the course of 90 minutes, 102 of the hostages were rescued successfully, with three having been killed. One of the dead hostages, Dora Bloch , was murdered by Ugandan authorities at a hospital in Kampala shortly after the Israeli rescue operation; she had fallen ill during
8541-551: The operation, General Yekutiel Adam, was on board the second Boeing, which circled over Entebbe Airport during the raid. The Israeli forces landed at Entebbe on 3 July at 23:00 IST , with their cargo bay doors already open. Because the proper layout of the airport was not known, the first plane almost taxied into a ditch. A black Mercedes car that looked like President Idi Amin's vehicle and Land Rovers that usually accompanied Amin's Mercedes were brought along. The Israelis hoped they could use them to bypass security checkpoints. When
8658-1013: The operation, and to allow the Israeli Air Force access to the Nairobi airport. MacKenzie's support for the operation came after Sir Maurice Oldfield , the then head of Britain's MI6 intelligence agency, put his contacts in Mossad in touch with MacKenzie, who had been an MI6 contact for some time. The Jewish owner of the Block hotels chain in Kenya, along with other members of the Jewish and Israeli community in Nairobi , may also have used their political and economic influence to help persuade Kenya's President Jomo Kenyatta to help Israel. Uganda's ambassador to Lesotho , Isaac Lumago , overheard some of
8775-715: The operation, but that criticism was not made public at the time. In mid-July 1976, the supercarrier USS Ranger and her escorts entered the Indian Ocean and operated off the Kenyan coast in response to a threat of military action by forces from Uganda. The hijacked aircraft's pilot, Captain Michel Bacos , was awarded the Legion of Honour , and the other crew members were awarded the French Order of Merit . In
8892-516: The operation. Representatives of the United Kingdom and United States offered significant praise, calling the Entebbe raid "an impossible operation". Some in the United States noted that the hostages were freed on 4 July 1976, 200 years after the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence . In private conversation with Israeli Ambassador Dinitz, Henry Kissinger sounded criticism for Israeli use of US equipment during
9009-479: The other refugees who were accounted for, 6,000 went to Canada , 4,500 refugees ended up in India and 2,500 went to nearby Kenya . In total, some 5,655 firms, ranches, farms, and agricultural estates were reallocated, along with cars, homes and other household goods. Although Amin proclaimed that the "common man" was the beneficiary of this drastic act — which proved immensely popular in Uganda and most of Africa — it
9126-481: The phone many times, trying to gain the release of the hostages, without success. The Israeli government also approached the United States government to deliver a message to Egyptian president Anwar Sadat , asking him to request that Amin release the hostages. Prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and defence minister Shimon Peres spent one week disagreeing on whether to give in to the hijackers' demands (Rabin's position) or not, to prevent more terrorism (Peres' position). At
9243-620: The planes, and left the airport. The entire operation lasted 53 minutes – of which the assault lasted only 30 minutes. All seven hijackers present, and about 50 Ugandan soldiers, were killed. Eleven Soviet-built MiG-17 and MiG-21 fighter planes of the Uganda Army Air Force were destroyed on the ground at Entebbe Airport. Out of the 106 hostages, three were killed, one was left in Uganda (74-year-old Dora Bloch ), and approximately 10 were wounded. The 102 rescued hostages were flown to Israel via Nairobi, Kenya, shortly after
9360-486: The raid Israel tried using political avenues to obtain the release of the hostages. Many sources indicate that the Israeli cabinet was prepared to release Palestinian prisoners if a military solution seemed unlikely to succeed. A retired IDF officer, Baruch "Burka" Bar-Lev, had known Idi Amin for many years and was considered to have a strong personal relationship with him. At the request of the cabinet, he spoke with Amin on
9477-511: The raid at a somber ceremony at the base of a tower at the Old Entebbe Airport, where Yonatan Netanyahu was killed. Uganda and Israel renewed their commitment to "fight terrorism and to work towards humanity". In addition, wreaths were laid, a moment of silence was held, speeches were given, and a poem was recited. The flags of Uganda and Israel were flown side by side, symbolising the two countries' strong bilateral relations, next to
9594-545: The raid she was murdered by officers of the Uganda Army, as were some of her doctors and nurses, apparently for trying to intervene. In April 1987, Henry Kyemba , Uganda's Attorney general and Minister of Justice at the time, told the Uganda Human Rights Commission that Bloch had been dragged from her hospital bed and killed by two army officers on Amin's orders. Bloch was shot and her body
9711-521: The raid. Amin was furious upon learning of the raid, and reportedly boasted that he could have taught the Israelis a lesson if he had known that they would strike. Following the raid, Maliyamungu had 14 soldiers arrested under suspicion of collaborating with the Israelis. Once they were gathered in a room at Makindye Barracks, he shot 12 of them with his pistol. Uganda Army Chief of Staff Mustafa Adrisi reportedly wanted to incarcerate or execute Godwin Sule ,
9828-598: The ranks. The commander of the Uganda Air Force, Smuts Guweddeko, had previously worked as a telephone operator; the unofficial executioner for the regime, Major Isaac Maliyamungu , had formerly been a nightwatch officer. By the mid-1970s, only the most trustworthy military units were allowed ammunition, although this prohibition did not prevent a series of mutinies and murders. An attempt by an American journalist , Nicholas Stroh, and his colleague, Robert Siedle, to investigate one of these barracks outbreaks in 1971 at
9945-501: The release of Israeli hostages. The dramatic rescue of the hostages by Israeli commandos was a severe blow to Amin. Humiliated, he retaliated against an elderly hostage—75-year-old Dora Bloch— who was hospitalized in poor health at the time of the raid and was left behind. Bloch was kidnapped from her hospital bed and killed on Amin's orders, along with the entire civilian staff of Entebbe airport. Amin's government, conducted by often erratic personal proclamation, continued on. Because he
10062-404: The representative of Israel, accused Uganda of direct complicity in the hijacking. The US and UK sponsored a resolution which condemned hijacking and similar acts, deplored the loss of life arising from the hijacking (without condemning either Israel or Uganda), reaffirmed the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, and called on the international community to enhance
10179-533: The rest of them?" referring to the hijackers. The hostages pointed to a connecting door of the airport's main hall, into which the commandos threw several hand grenades . They then entered the room and shot dead the three remaining hijackers, ending the assault. Meanwhile, the other three C-130 Hercules aeroplanes had landed and unloaded armoured personnel carriers to provide defence during the anticipated hour of refuelling. The Israelis then destroyed Ugandan MiG fighter planes to prevent them from pursuing, and conducted
10296-412: The safety of civil aviation. However, the resolution failed to receive the required number of affirmative votes because two voting members abstained and seven were absent. A second resolution sponsored by Benin, Libya and Tanzania, that condemned Israel, was not put to a vote. Western nations spoke in support of the raid. West Germany called the raid "an act of self-defence". Switzerland and France praised
10413-592: The seizure of the capital, combat operations in the country continued until 3 June, when Tanzanian forces reached the Sudanese border and eliminated the last resistance. Brigitte Kuhlmann Brigitte Kuhlmann (19 January 1947 – 4 July 1976) was a German terrorist who was a founding member of the West German left-wing terrorist group Revolutionäre Zellen (RZ, or Revolutionary Cells in English). She
10530-504: The six to be moved back to the non-Israeli group, the two Brazilians were indeed transferred, but Kuhlmann refused to allow the other four to be set free. Kuhlmann, along with her fellow terrorist Wilfried Böse and the other hijackers, were killed in Operation Entebbe , the successful Israeli commando raid to free the remaining hostages. The two Germans died without firing a shot according to some sources. One reconstruction of
10647-541: The slightest which would result in their immediate arrest and imprisonment or summary execution . Shortly after Amin seized power, the Minister of Defence demanded, and was given, command of the Ministry of Education office building, but then the decision was reversed by Amin for no clear reason. Important education files were lost during their transfer back and forth by wheelbarrow. In many respects, Amin's government in
10764-420: The source of his power. He spent much of his time rewarding, promoting, and manipulating the officers and soldiers of the Ugandan army. Financing his ever-increasing military expenditures was a continuing concern. Early in 1972, he reversed foreign policy — never a major issue for Amin — to secure financial and military aid from Muammar Gaddafi of Libya . Amin expelled the remaining Israeli advisers, to whom he
10881-577: The south outlet of the Red Sea the C-130s turned south and crossed into Ethiopian territory, passing west of Djibouti . From there, they went to a point northeast of Nairobi, Kenya. They turned west, passing through the African Rift Valley and over Lake Victoria . Two Boeing 707 jets followed the cargo planes. The first Boeing contained medical facilities and landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. The commander of
10998-404: The stated objective of compelling the release of 40 Palestinian and affiliated militants imprisoned in Israel as well as the release of 13 prisoners in four other countries. Over 100 Ugandan soldiers were deployed to support the hijackers after the flight landed, and Amin, who had been informed of the hijacking from the beginning, had personally welcomed the terrorists at Entebbe. After moving all of
11115-424: The system of civil law , appointed soldiers to top government posts and parastatal agencies, and even informed the newly inducted civilian cabinet ministers that they would be subject to military discipline. Uganda then became a military dictatorship which was, in effect, governed from a collection of military barracks scattered across the country, where battalion commanders, acting like local warlords, represented
11232-678: The target. Later, Mossad Chief Director Meir Amit had a forest planted in Israel in MacKenzie's name. The United Nations Security Council convened on 9 July 1976, to consider a complaint from the Chairman of the Organization of African Unity charging Israel with an "act of aggression". The Council allowed Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Chaim Herzog , and Uganda's foreign minister, Juma Oris Abdalla , to participate without voting rights. UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim told
11349-482: The terminal where the hostages were held. While planning the military operation, the IDF erected a partial replica of the airport terminal with the assistance of civilians who had helped build the original. IDF major Muki Betser later remarked in an interview that Mossad operatives extensively interviewed the hostages who had been released. He said that a French-Jewish passenger who had a military background and "a phenomenal memory" had provided detailed information about
11466-504: The tool of that military suppression. Amin stated intentions about his government's intent to play a mere "caretaker role" until the country could recover sufficiently for civilian rule. Amin repudiated Obote's non-aligned foreign policy, and his government was quickly recognized by Israel, Britain , and the United States . By contrast, presidents Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya , and
11583-546: The way this news was leaked to Amin. Also, the role of the foreign powers in the coup had been debated after the fact. Documents declassified by the British Foreign Office reveal that, contrary to earlier speculations, it was not directly facilitated by Great Britain but benefited from covert support by Israel which saw Idi Amin as an agent to de-stabilise Islamic Sudan . The documents however unveil an outrightly positive assessment of Amin's personality by
11700-562: The way. Libya's Gaddafi sent 3,000 troops to aid Amin, but the Libyans soon found themselves on the front line, while behind them Ugandan Army units were using supply trucks to carry their newly plundered wealth in the opposite direction. Tanzania and the UNLA took Kampala on 11 April 1979, and Amin fled by air, first to Libya and later to a permanent exile at Jeddah , Saudi Arabia . Though pro-Amin forces were left scattered and disjointed by
11817-673: Was Operation Eagle Claw , a failed 1980 rescue of 53 American embassy personnel held hostage in Tehran during the Iran hostage crisis . In a letter dated 13 July 1976 the Supreme Commander's Staff of the Imperial Iranian Armed Forces praised the Israeli commandos for the mission and extended condolences for "the loss and martyrdom" of Netanyahu. F-BVGG the aircraft in the hijacking of Air France Flight 139,
11934-414: Was a military officer with dual citizenship then using his non-Israeli passport and he was later freed as part of the second release of non-Israeli hostages. US citizen Janet Almog, Frenchwoman Jocelyne Monier (whose husband or boyfriend was Israeli), and French-Israeli dual citizen Jean-Jacques Mimouni, whose name had not been called up during the reading of the original passport-based list, reportedly joined
12051-405: Was actually the Ugandan army that emerged with the houses, cars, and businesses of the departing Asian minority. This expropriation of foreign property proved disastrous for the already declining economy. With the economy now run by Ugandan army officers and supporters (many of whom had no experience in how to run a business), all of the local businesses and stores were soon run into the ground from
12168-426: Was disliked, particularly in Buganda where people had suffered the most. By January 1971, Milton Obote , then President of Uganda , was prepared to rid himself of the potential threat posed by Idi Amin. Departing for the 1971 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Singapore , he relayed orders to loyal Langi officers that Amin and his supporters in the army were to be arrested. Various versions emerged of
12285-642: Was dumped in the trunk of a car that had Ugandan intelligence services number plates. Her remains were recovered near a sugar plantation 20 miles (32 km) east of Kampala in 1979, after the Uganda–Tanzania War ended Amin's rule. Amin also ordered the killing of hundreds of Kenyans living in Uganda in retaliation for Kenya's assistance to Israel in the raid. Uganda killed 245 Kenyans, including airport staff at Entebbe. To avoid massacre, approximately 3000 Kenyans fled Uganda as refugees. On 24 May 1978 Kenya's former agriculture minister, Bruce MacKenzie ,
12402-471: Was finally completed more than 30 years after it initially began. Following his foreign policy reversal in 1972, the Soviet Union became Amin's largest arms supplier. East Germany helped to build Amin's secret police. During the Tanzanian invasion in 1979, East Germany attempted to remove evidence about its involvement. In August 1972, Amin gave most of Uganda's 80,000 Asians, most of whom were
12519-435: Was illiterate his entire life — a disability shared with most of his fellow military officers and soldiers — Amin relayed orders and policy decisions orally by telephone, over the radio, and in long rambling speeches to which civil servants were told to pay close attention. The bureaucracy soon became paralysed as government administrators feared to make what might prove to be a wrong decision that would displease or anger Amin in
12636-524: Was injured in a suspicious auto accident, troops loyal to him became restive. The once reliable Malire Mechanized Regiment mutinied, as did other units. In October 1978, Amin sent troops still loyal to him against the mutineers, some of whom fled across the Tanzanian border. Amin then claimed that Tanzanian President Nyerere, his perennial enemy, had been at the root of his troubles. Amin accused Nyerere of waging war against Uganda, and, hoping to divert attention from his internal troubles and rally Uganda against
12753-685: Was killed by the Israel Defense Forces in Entebbe , Uganda , during Operation Entebbe . Kuhlmann was born in 1947 and studied pedagogy in Hannover . She wrote poetry and cared for handicapped patients. She had relationships with Wilfried Böse and later Gerd-Hinrich Schnepel [ de ] . She was described by acquaintances as "a feminist who enjoyed life but had a strong sense of social and pedagogical responsibility", "women’s lib, anti-authoritarian, resolute and honest",
12870-410: Was killed when a bomb attached to his aircraft exploded as MacKenzie departed a meeting with Amin. Some have asserted that Ugandan president Idi Amin ordered Ugandan agents to assassinate MacKenzie in retaliation for Kenya's involvement and MacKenzie's actions prior to the raid. Others have indicated various other possible causes for the bombing, including that another person aboard the plane may have been
12987-440: Was much indebted, and became anti-Israel . To induce foreign aid from Saudi Arabia , he rediscovered his previously neglected Islamic heritage. He also commissioned the construction of a great mosque on Kampala Hill in the capital city, but it was never completed during his rule because much of the money intended for it was embezzled . In 2008 Amin's dream of building one of Africa's largest mosques came true, and construction
13104-435: Was repaired and returned to service with Air France. In April 1996, the aircraft was leased to Vietnam Airlines for three months. In December the same year, the aircraft was converted into a freighter and was delivered to S–C Aviation, having been re-registered as N742SC. In 1998 the aircraft was delivered to MNG Airlines and re-registered as TC-MNA. In 2009, the aircraft was placed into storage at Istanbul Atatürk Airport and
13221-480: Was scrapped in 2020. The Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi , owned by a prominent member of the local Jewish community , was bombed on 31 December 1980. The bomb flattened the hotel, killing 20 people, of several nationalities, and injuring 87 more. It was believed to be an act of revenge by pro-Palestinian militants for Kenya's supporting role in Operation Entebbe. In August 2012 Uganda and Israel commemorated
13338-575: Was subjected to abuse and destruction by widespread poaching and deforesting committed by both smugglers and Uganda Army soldiers. Amin encouraged officers to engage in poaching and ivory trade, using these as benefits provided to troops in order to keep them loyal. Soldiers frequently engaged in poaching in national parks and game reserves. In course of the Uganda–Tanzania War, Uganda Army troops and Tanzanian soldiers hunted for food and profit across Uganda, causing further environmental damage . It
13455-403: Was subsequently recovered from a clumsily contrived "car accident", subsequent investigations revealed that Luwum had been shot dead. Then print some more. —President Idi Amin when informed that his government had run out of foreign exchange . This latest in a long line of atrocities was greeted with international condemnation, but apart from the continued trade boycott initiated by
13572-473: Was the only hijacker who, after the operation began, entered the hall housing the hostages. At first he pointed his Kalashnikov rifle at hostages, but "immediately came to his senses" and ordered them to find shelter in the restroom, before being killed by the commandos. According to Hartuv, Böse fired only at Israeli soldiers and not at hostages. At one point an Israeli commando called out in Hebrew, "Where are
13689-456: Was to be Uganda's official language. 12 out of the 20 districts had chosen this, the other 8 wanted Luganda. The army, which had been progressively expanded under Obote, was further doubled and redoubled under Amin. Recruitment was largely, but not entirely, in the north. There were periodic purges , when various battalion commanders were viewed as potential problems or became real threats. Each purge provided new opportunities for promotions from
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