Introduction
Central Africa is home to many influential leaders both famous and infamous. One important leader for each country has been listed below. To find out more information about these leaders and the current leaders of the country follow the listed links!
Central African Republic
Jean Bedel Bokassa reigned over the Central African Republic for 14 years. Mike Thompson from BBC news describes him as, “as one of the continent's most colourful yet bloodthirsty monsters.” Bokassa gained presidency of the Central African Republic when he was selected by the French to overthrow his own cousin David Dacko (French 1996). He then gave himself the titles of, President for life, Prime Minister, Commander in Chief of the army and leader of the sole political party. He later declared the Central African Republic an empire and claimed himself as the emperor. Due to inspiration from his favorite hero Napoleon Bonaparte, Bokassa held a grand coronation based off his hero Napoleon costing the country millions with his crown costing 5 million alone and the total ceremony costing $30 million (French 1996.) One of his most controversial events of his reign was when he was involved in the massacre of 100 school children for refusing to wear the expensive uniforms that were made in one of his factories. (French 1996). He also implemented a punishment for criminals in which he would cut off an ear for a first offense of thievery. Political rivals were frequently tortured and murdered (Thomson 2009). Although his rule was gruesome he did bring some stability to the country. Several leaders in the area even have good things to say about him. When asked about Bokassa Govrnor of the Houam Pendi, Michel Yambete, said that, “ Looking back the time of Bokassa was something to admire. That man did great things." (Thomson 2009).
For information about the current president of the Central African Republic go to this link!
Check out this video of the coronation!
For information about the current president of the Central African Republic go to this link!
Check out this video of the coronation!
Democratic republic of congo
Mobutu Sese Seko was educated in missionary schools. His career began in the army. In 1949 he joined the Belgian Colognese army as a clerk. After time he was able to climb the ranks and became a sergeant major. At the time this was the highest ranking that an African could have. ("Mobutu Sese Seko | biography - president of Zaire", 2014) He was the ruler of Zaire for 31 years. Mobutu was very well known for his leopard print hat that he always wore. He was the founder of the “kleptocracy” due to his reign of absolute corruption and embezzlement ("The Mobutu Years, Authenticity and Kleptocracy") He was one of the most wealthy figure heads due to his constant violence and use of state funds to pay off enemies. He became an ally to the United States and other Western powers and allowed them to use his country for anti-communist movements.He was ran out of office in 1997. He then died in exile due to prostate cancer ("Mobutu Sese Seko | biography - president of Zaire", 2014).
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U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger meets with President Mobutu of Zaire in his Pentagon office, Room 3E880
by Frank Hall, used under |
Angola
Antonio Agostinho Neto always dreamed of being a doctor. He grew up in a community where most people were illiterate but he had access to secondary education. He went to University of Coimbra Faculty of Medicine. Although his main dream was always medicine he had a deep passion for his country, world peace and independence. He began activating for the Stockholm Appeal for World Peace and was arrested while he was collecting signatures. Because at this time Angola was a fascist nation it was illegal to promote world peace (Brennan, 2004). While he was in prison he joined the Portuguese Communist Party and helped create institutions to bring people in Portugal together. He earned his medical degree and was working as a Gynecologist while simultaneously secretly attending rallies and freedom movements. He also began to write a great deal of poetry which would later become very famous ("Agostinho Neto | biography - president of Angola"). He became the leader for the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in 1959 (Brennan, 2004) He was arrested and exiled to Santiago Island where he practiced medicine on the locals until a large campaign grew enough support that the Portuguese authorities were forced to free him but demanded that he stay in Portugal. His supporters in the MPLA devised an escape plan and Neto and his family eventually made it to the headquarters of MPLA in Leopoldville and was named the President of the MPLA. With the leadership of Neto, Angola received full independence from the Portuguese on November 11, 1975 and he was declared the nations first leader (Brennan, 2004).
For information on the current president of Angola check out this article!
For information on the current president of Angola check out this article!
Burundi
Pierre Nkurunziza was born in 19664 grew up in the Ngozi province.His mother was a Tutsi and his father was a Hutu. His father worked as a governor (Hollar, 2009). In 1975 he lost his father unexpectedly in an event of ethnic violence ("Burundi profile - Leaders", 2014). In this event almost 100,000 Hutus and 10,00 Tutsis lost their lives (Hollar, 2009). He attended the University of Burundi in Bujumbura and worked as a Sports teacher before getting into politics. The university was attacked in 1995 by the army. After this he became active in the rebellion. Eventually he worked his way up through the ranks until he was the head of the Force for the Defense of Democracy in 2001. In 2005 the parliamentarians selected Nkurunziza as president of Burundi. The election was a democratic election but Nkurunziza was the only candidate running. He was the first president to be selected by way of a democratic election since 1994 when the Burundi civil war began. On his cabinet he attempted to keep a balance of both Hutu and Tutsi people due to the extreme war going on between the two groups. He had 11 Hutu and 9 Tutsi people serving for him (Hollar, 2009). Nkurunziza was a big advocate for peace. He attempted to have peace talks with the National Liberation Forces but they denied his talk. He was able to convince the signing of a cease fire but it was soon ignored. Two years later another ceasefire was signed and by December an official definitive peace agreement was signed. He served as president and was reelected in June 2012. There was discontent in this election process by the opposition. They were complaining that there may have been possible fraud in the election. The next election is coming up in 2015 and the opposition has filed several complaints towards Nkurunziza. They are accusing him of rewriting the constitution in order to become more like a dictator and increase his own party’s gains. Nkurunziza is the active president today of Burundi. He is a born again Christian and is married with two children ("Burundi profile - Leaders", 2014).
For more info on the Hutu Tutsi conflict check out this link!
EQUATORIAL Guinea
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has been the ruler of Equatorial Guinea for three decades. He was born in the district of Mongomo by the Gabonese border (David 2011). He did his studies at the Spanish Military Academy in Zaragoza. When he turned 26 he was appointed governor of Bioko by his uncle the who was the dictator at that time. In addition to this he was the director of the Black Beach Prison. He also worked as the commander of the National Guard and eventually was Secretary-General of the Ministry of Defense (Wallechinksky 2011). In 1979 Teodoro seized power. The old ruler, his uncle Francisco Macias Nguema, was tried and executed. Although some say that Teodoro was a less strict ruler than his predecessor, by no means was he a great ruler. He was accused of acts of cannibalism against his opponents in attempts to gain power (Norman 2011). There have been numerous accusations against him in regards to imbezzlement. It is thought that he and other high leaders were using the governments money to buy luxury homes and cars from France (Gold 2012). Teodoro organized the first political party system for Equatorial Guinea. His party was the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE). The multi-party system, however, was not very effective due to the corruption and absolute fear he instilled on anyone who attempted to run against the members of his party. In the 1996 election 75 out of the 80 positions that were voted on went to members of the PDGE. Teodoro chose his son to be the country’s Vice President. Teodoro 'Teodorin' Nguema Obiang underwent serious investigation by the Unisted State’s government for these claims and in November 2014 he was forced to give up his United States based property. Teodoro is still the current president of Equatorial Guinea (Gold 2012).
To learn about Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo from the Equatorial Guinea's website check out this link!
To learn about Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo from the Equatorial Guinea's website check out this link!
gabon
Omar Bongo grew up in Lewai and was the youngest of twelve children. He attended primary and secondary school in Brazzaville. He then began his military training and eventually became a sub-lieutenant in the Air Force. After Gabon gained independence Bongo served as Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then a minister. In March 1967 he was elected as vice president and by November 1967 he was president due to the death of the former president, Léon M’ba ("Biography of Omar Bongo ", 2010). Bongo eliminated the one party system and allowed several people to run for office positions although he was the only one who won them. He served as president from 1967 and in 2003 the constitution was changed to say that there is no limit on the amount of terms a president can have ("Biography of Omar Bongo ", 2010). Bongo was one of the world’s wealthiest leaders. The oil in the country of Gabon helped Gabon maintain power and wealth for the country. Many people feared him but he did not face a lot of opposition because he kept the country under control (Callimachi 2009). Bongo lead as president until his death in 2009 at age 73. When he was elected he was only 31 and was one of the world's youngest leaders at that time (Callimachi 2009). In response to his death the country shut down the international airport and all land and sea borders ("Biography of Omar Bongo ", 2010).
For information on the current president of Gabon check out this cool article!
For a news report on the death of the Great Omar Bongo watch the video below!
Rwanda
President Paul Kagame grew up in Uganda. He studied at Makerere University in Kampala in Uganda was named one of the world’s most influential leaders by Time Magazine in 2009. He was the only Africa to be included in the list ("Kagame listed among the world's most influential figures", 2009) President Kagame has faced a lot of hardships and extreme difficulties during his time as president of Rwanda. After the Rwandian Genocide in 1994 Kagame was the acting president and needed to make several changes to the way the government was run. He got rid of the of the pre-genocide ethnic cards were had previously caused extreme hostility among the Hutu and Tutsi people ("Kagame listed among the world's most influential figures", 2009) Kagame’s most notable accomplishment is that he defeated Hutu extremist forces and assisted in ending Genocide. Time Magazine said one of his most distinctive leadership abilities is, “...his willingness to listen to and learn from those who oppose him” (Warren 2009). Many other influential leaders fight opposition with violence and cruelty but according to Time, Kagame is constantly trying to grow as a leader. Kagame has also instituted a zero-tolerance policy for corruption in Rwanda. Anyone who is in a leadership position and is accused of corruption is exposed and the situation is dealt with (Warren 2009).
For more information about the Hutu Tutsi conflict see the link under Burundi!
For more information about the Hutu Tutsi conflict see the link under Burundi!
References
Agostinho Neto | biography - president of Angola. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/410273/Agostinho-Neto
Biography of Omar Bongo. (2010, April 1). Retrieved April 12, 2015, from http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=68&
Brennan, C., & Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. (2004). Neto, António Agostinho 1922–1979. Retrieved April 17, 2015, from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Antonio_Agostinho_Neto.aspx
Burundi profile - Leaders. (2014, November 1). Retrieved March 31, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13085065
Callimachi, R. (2009, June 1). Security tight after Gabon’s ruler, one of the world’s richest men, dies. Retrieved April 16, 2015, from http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/security-tight-after-gabons-ruler-one-of-the-worlds-richest-men-dies/
David, W. (2011, July 1). Dictator of the Month: Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from http://www.allgov.com/news/us-and-the-world/dictator-of-the-month-teodoro-obiang-nguema-of-equatorial-guinea?news=843015
French, H. (1996, November 3). Jean-Bedel Bokassa, 75, Ruled The Central African Republic. Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/04/world/jean-bedel-bokassa-75-ruled-the-central-african-republic.html
Gold, L. (2012, October 1). In Equatorial Guinea, the world's longest-serving leader. Retrieved April 14, 2015, from http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/01/in-equatorial-guinea-the-worlds-longest-serving-leader/
Hollar, S. (2009). Pierre Nkurunziza | biography - president of Burundi. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1090732/Pierre-Nkurunziza
Kagame listed among the world's most influential figures. (2009). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/opOrEd/comment/-/434750/599154/-/view/printVersion/-/efbksgz/-/index.html
Mobutu Sese Seko | biography - president of Zaire. (2014, July 1). Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/386839/Mobutu-Sese-Seko
Norman, J. (2011, June 19). The world's enduring dictators: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Equatorial Guinea. Retrieved April 14, 2015, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-worlds-enduring-dictators-teodoro-obiang-nguema-mbasogo-equatorial-guinea-19-06-2011/
The Mobutu Years, Authenticity and Kleptocracy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://www.countriesquest.com/africa/democratic_republic_of_the_congo_formerly_zaire/history/the_mobutu_years/authenticity_and_kleptocracy.htm
Thomson, M. (2009, January 2). 'Good old days' under Bokassa? Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7803421.stm
Warren, R. (2009, April 30). The 2009 TIME 100. Retrieved April 15, 2015, from http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1894410_1893847_1893843,00.html
Biography of Omar Bongo. (2010, April 1). Retrieved April 12, 2015, from http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=68&
Brennan, C., & Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. (2004). Neto, António Agostinho 1922–1979. Retrieved April 17, 2015, from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Antonio_Agostinho_Neto.aspx
Burundi profile - Leaders. (2014, November 1). Retrieved March 31, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13085065
Callimachi, R. (2009, June 1). Security tight after Gabon’s ruler, one of the world’s richest men, dies. Retrieved April 16, 2015, from http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/security-tight-after-gabons-ruler-one-of-the-worlds-richest-men-dies/
David, W. (2011, July 1). Dictator of the Month: Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from http://www.allgov.com/news/us-and-the-world/dictator-of-the-month-teodoro-obiang-nguema-of-equatorial-guinea?news=843015
French, H. (1996, November 3). Jean-Bedel Bokassa, 75, Ruled The Central African Republic. Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/04/world/jean-bedel-bokassa-75-ruled-the-central-african-republic.html
Gold, L. (2012, October 1). In Equatorial Guinea, the world's longest-serving leader. Retrieved April 14, 2015, from http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/01/in-equatorial-guinea-the-worlds-longest-serving-leader/
Hollar, S. (2009). Pierre Nkurunziza | biography - president of Burundi. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1090732/Pierre-Nkurunziza
Kagame listed among the world's most influential figures. (2009). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/opOrEd/comment/-/434750/599154/-/view/printVersion/-/efbksgz/-/index.html
Mobutu Sese Seko | biography - president of Zaire. (2014, July 1). Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/386839/Mobutu-Sese-Seko
Norman, J. (2011, June 19). The world's enduring dictators: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Equatorial Guinea. Retrieved April 14, 2015, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-worlds-enduring-dictators-teodoro-obiang-nguema-mbasogo-equatorial-guinea-19-06-2011/
The Mobutu Years, Authenticity and Kleptocracy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://www.countriesquest.com/africa/democratic_republic_of_the_congo_formerly_zaire/history/the_mobutu_years/authenticity_and_kleptocracy.htm
Thomson, M. (2009, January 2). 'Good old days' under Bokassa? Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7803421.stm
Warren, R. (2009, April 30). The 2009 TIME 100. Retrieved April 15, 2015, from http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1894410_1893847_1893843,00.html