Quest for Justice

We started this segment with a CBC report of the military overthrow of Ugandan president Milton Obote in January, 1971. The man who took charge of those jubilant masses was the Commander of the army, Idi Amin.

But what began as a popular coup d'etat would devolve into eight years of madness and murder. As we continue to look at Africa in the years since independence, we turn to Uganda - which, like many of its neighbours, quickly saw its high hopes for sovereignty give way to political turbulence and tyranny. Few leaders were more tyrannical than Amin.

Hundreds of thousands of ugandans were killed during his reign of terror. And most of those atrocities went unpunished. But Duncan Laki wasn't ready to let his father's killers get off that easy. Unlike many Ugandans who lost relatives to Amin's regime, Duncan was able to bring the men he believes were behind his father's murder to court. His story is recounted in Andrew Rice's book The Teeth May Smile But the Heart Does Not Forget: Murder and Memory in Uganda. Andrew Rice and Duncan Laki were both in our New York studio.

Throughout the summer, we will be bringing you more stories highlighting how Africa has changed in the years since independence.

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