This account of a meeting held on the 15th August 1972 between Geoffrey Ripon and General Amin shows the difficulties in pursuing diplomatic relations between Uganda and the UK at the time of the expulsion of the Ugandan Asians. (FCO 89/10 f.10-11)
Transcript
General Amin said that he had heard that British aid was to be cut off. This would not make him change his mind. If Britain boycotted Uganda trade, this unfriendly action would force him to readjust his attitude to Britain. He got nothing free from Britain. Only the U.S.S.R. and China gave unlimited aid. He did not want any country to control Uganda. Britain was trying to sabotage the economy of Uganda. The reaction of the British Press demonstrated this.
The President had evidence that British Asians had been banking their money in England. The Bank of England would lose out when the Asians left East Africa.
If the Asians did not leave in time, they would have to be put in camps. After Africans had bought their possessions they could not stay in town. The British Government, the International Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees would have to be responsible for feeding them. He proposed to keep them in two camps near a new hospital which was nearly complete but had not yet been opened.
Mr Rippon said that on the statements on aid in British newspapers, General Amin had to understand that the announcement of the expulsion of tens of thousands of people was a shock. The House of Commons had naturally asked questions about aid and assistance. The British Government had said that the two matters did not go together, but of course they had had to say that they would keep the situation under review. They had made no declaration on the policy; they had no right to question a decision of the Ugandan Government, but it was a matter of concern how it was carried out. He had come neither to threaten nor to cajole, but the situation must be dealt with in an orderly way.
Neither country wanted camps. The resulting publicity and chaos could do great harm. An atmosphere of panic must be avoided and he suggested that they should announce that working parties were being set up at every level; that the staff of the British High Commission was being strengthened; and that both governments were determined to settle the problem in an orderly and humane way.
General Amin said that he thought ninety days should be sufficient. Mr Rippon said that the difficulty would be proven as they went along. Besides the difficulties of documentation and transport, we had to make arrangements to absorb the Asians at the other end. We must absorb them, the Ugandan Government must get them out. We must have no camps and no panic. General Amin said that they were sabotaging the economy by destroying their property rather than leave it and the sooner they left the better.
Mr Rippon said that if some were breaking Ugandan law, they must naturally be dealt with under it. But we were dealing with a great many decent, law-abiding people and we must look after them whatever we thought of saboteurs. At this stage we had no means of telling whether ninety days was the right period. With co-operation we would move as quickly as possible and if it became clear that in all good faith it was a physical impossibility to move all those involved in the stated time, the Ugandan Government should be prepared to review the situation in a humane manner. Working parties should be set up now and we should review the situation in practical terms in six week’s time.