Jiddah (Saudi Arabia): Idi Amin, whose eight years as President of Uganda were characterised by bizarre and murderous behaviour, died on August 16, a hospital official said.

Amin was 80, Ugandan officials said, though other sources had him born in 1925.

Amin had been hospitalised on life-support since July 18. He was in a coma and suffering from high blood pressure when he was admitted to the King Faisal Specialist Hospital. Later, hospital staff said he suffered kidney failure.

Amin was forced from Uganda in 1979, fled to Libya, then Iraq and finally Saudi Arabia, where he was allowed to settle provided he stayed out of politics.

A one-time lightweight boxing champ and soldier in the British colonial Army, Amin seized power on January 25, 1971, overthrowing President Milton Obote while Obote was abroad.

Human Rights groups say as many as 500,000 people were killed during Amin's 1971-1979 rule of Uganda.