Real Dictators Noiser

Turkmenistan in Central Asia. Somewhere unremarkable, you might assume. But you’d be wrong. Away from prying eyes, an extraordinary story unfolded here. In the early 1990s, out of the rubble of the Soviet Union, a man called Saparmurat Niyazov creates a brand-new state. His regime will be a case study in modern tyranny, filled with bizarre pronouncements and barely believable laws. As ‘Turkmenbashy’, or ‘Head of the Turkmen’, Niyazov rules into the 2000s, sealing off his people from the outside world and turning Turkmenistan into a North Korea 2.0. But how does he get away with it?
A Noiser production, written & produced by Dan Smith. Research by Derek Henry Flood.
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In the passenger hall at Entebbe Airport, 106 hostages are held at gunpoint by hijackers. But four military planes are on their way to conduct an audacious commando raid that will spark the beginning of the end for Idi Amin. After a fatally ill-judged war with Tanzania, the tyrant will finally be ousted. Leaving a grim legacy behind him, he’ll commence a surreal retirement thousands of miles away.
A Noiser production, written & produced by Jeff Dawson.
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Delving into Amin’s private life, we take in his many marriages, mistresses and children, as well as henchmen such as ‘Major Bob’ and ‘The Hangman’. Making a triumphant return to the boxing ring, the President seems in his element. But behind closed doors, frustration at his portrayal in the West is growing. Trying to wrest back control of his image, Amin participates in an extraordinary film about his own life. But while his PR blitz may paper over the cracks, the patience of the Ugandan people is being strained to the limit.
A Noiser production, written & produced by Jeff Dawson.
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In a speech, Amin makes an extraordinary announcement – something he claims came to him in a dream. All Ugandans of Asian origin must sell up and leave the country within the next 90 days. Tens of thousands of citizens have had the rug pulled out from under their feet. Meanwhile, out in the countryside, supporters of Obote are massacred in their hundreds. In response, an army of exiles prepares to launch the first serious attempt on Big Daddy’s rule.
A Noiser production, written & produced by Jeff Dawson.
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Amin wages war on Buganda’s king, as the Obote administration firms up its grip on power. But all is not well. After Obote survives an assassination attempt by mere inches, rumours swirl as to the identity of the perpetrator. Brigadier Amin goes on an army recruitment drive, enlisting fellow men of the north. Sooner or later, Obote must leave Uganda to do business abroad. And when he does, who knows what might happen in his absence.
A Noiser production, written & produced by Jeff Dawson.
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In 1960, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan announces that independence is to be awarded to all of Britain's African colonies. Uganda and its 7 million people are now free. Idi Amin zooms up the military hierarchy, becoming the right-hand man of the nation's new leader, Milton Obote. Implicated in unspeakable atrocities against civilians, Amin dodges a court martial and sets himself up as a rogue arms dealer. He is indispensable as an enforcer. But Obote had better watch his back.
A Noiser production, written & produced by Jeff Dawson.
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