Top 10 Longest Serving Presidents In Africa 2021 [With Pictures & Years]
Are you looking for the list of the longest-serving presidents in Africa? If yes, then this informative article is for you. You will be given detailed information about the list of the longest-serving presidents in Africa.
As it stands, most African presidents have, in one way or another, tried to stay in office longer than their national constitutions require. Ever wondered why do so many presidents in Africa have long terms? Well, it is simple, election law amendments.
While few have managed to play a house of cards that has seen them remain in power, others like Mugabe of Zimbabwe have ended up getting uprooted in a shameful push-and-pull between them and the rest of the citizenry.
Sadly, their stay in power for longer than required is not the biggest drawback, but their underwhelming achievements over these periods. In most instances, these leaders leave the economy of the country in a far deplorable condition than those of their neighbours.
Longest-Serving Presidents In Africa
The list of the current longest-serving president in Africa is not necessarily concentrated in one region but distributed across the countries. Most of them ascended to power as early as the 20th century and are still on the country’s steering wheel. Here is a list and images of long served presidents of Africa:
1. Paul Biya – Cameroon (44 Years)
Paul Biya was born on February 13, 1933, and has been in power longer than half his lifetime. He started as the first prime minister of Cameroon from 1975 to 1982 and later ascended to power as the president. His rise was rapid under the leadership of Ahmadou Ahidjo, the then president of Cameroon.
He later succeeded Ahidjo to become Africa’s and Cameroon’s longest-serving president. His leadership has had its pitfalls with election irregularities outstandingly marring his reign. In the 1980s, Biya was forced to introduce the multiparty democracy in the country’s political system following pressure from both foreign investors from the west and locally from the opposition.
However, for fear of his authoritarian rule, most opposition leaders have had to bow to pressure despite subsequent election irregularities all coined to help Biya remain in power. Biya is the world’s longest-serving non-royal leader and the oldest president in Africa.
2. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo – Equatorial Guinea (40 Years)
After ousting his uncle from power in 1979, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has remained the president of Equatorial Guinea to date. Cumulatively, he is the longest-serving president in Africa and the unchallenged ruler of the continent’s west. Other than leading Equatorial Guinea, he has also served in an acting capacity as the chairman of the African Union between January 31, 2011, and January 29, 2012.
Globally, Obiang is the second longest-serving non-royal leader with a consecutive term in the world and leads the second longest-running current government in Africa. Both highs and lows have characterized his tenure.
One of the most outstanding achievements in his reign is the upraising of Equatorial Guinea as a reputable oil-producing country in Africa. However, the second longest-reigning head of state has also been accused of massive corruption during his tenure, coupled with endless abuse of power and undermining the opposition.
3. Dennis Sassou Nguesso – Congo (36 Years)
Dennis Sassou is the president of the Republic of Congo. He is serving his second term after being ousted in 1992. His earlier reign has been from 1979 to 1992, where he led the country under a single-party regime as the leader of the Congolese Party of Labor (PCT). The pressure from the international community forced him to introduce a multiparty political system in Congo.
He agreed to this in 1990 pave the way for multiparty democracy in Congo. However, this served as his first detour as he was ousted from power. During the five years, he was out of the executive; he served as the opposition leader and later contested again in 1997. He was elected the president from 1997 and has been serving as the country’s top leader.
The 2002 elections saw him win effortlessly following low participation by the opposition. He was re-elected in 2009 and got yet another advantage pass in 2015 following the promulgation of a new constitution. He was later re-elected in 2016 with a first-round majority win.
4. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni – Uganda (35 Years)
Museveni is the president of Uganda after toppling the notorious governments led by Idi Amin (1971-1979 and Milton Obote (1980-1985). After actively participating in the rebellions that saw the ouster of these two leaders, it was Museveni’s turn to have a piece of Uganda’s leadership pie. Both African and western countries celebrated him as part of the new breed of revolutionary young African leaders.
Museveni’s reign as president of Uganda was characterized by calm and stability. He is also applauded for his efforts to fight social calamities like the spread of HIV/AIDS. However, remaining in power for this long cannot go untainted. He is accused of massive corruption incidences and abuse of power. Recently, Museveni has been at the centre of a scuffle between him, the opposition, and the citizenry.
His military rebellion wing, the Lords’ Resistant Army (LRA) has been associated with a streak of malpractices, including castigating the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other conflicts in the great lakes. After succeeding in uniting the country following dictatorial leadership before him, he has also been associated with divisions through suppressing the opposition and jailing its leaders.
5. Idriss Déby – Chad (29 Years)
Idriss is the president of Chad. His leadership dates to 1990 after ousting president Hissene Habre. This came after a series of rebellions and anti-government aggressions under the leadership of Idriss.
Since “those who live by the gun also die by the gun,” his leadership has been characterized by a series of aggressions from rebellious movements which feel he is not leading the country according to the needs of the citizenry. Despite the challenges, he won elections from 1996 and 2001, with subsequent re-elections in 2006, 2011 and 2016.
One of the most fantastic reasons behind his clinging to power for so long is mainly changes in the constitution that saw a presidential term limit lifted. Idriss Is a graduate of the Muammar Gadhafi’s World Revolutionary Center.
6. Paul Kagame – Rwanda (20 Years)
Paul Kagame is the reigning president of Rwanda, and the fourth person to rule over the fast-developing East African country. He has served as a military leader previously commanding the Rwandan patriotic front. This was a Ugandan-based rebel force that actively invaded Rwanda and later evolved to be one of the parties during the Rwandan genocide of 1994.
In addition to that, he rose to power as the vice president from 1994 to 2000 where he was considered the de facto leader. During this time, he also doubled up as the minister of defence, making him one of the most influential people in the government. Following President Pasteur Bizumungu’s resignation in 2000, Kagame smoothly ascended to power with no one on sight to challenge his rise.
In August 2017, Kagame was re-elected to office with a massive 99% win against the next competitor. However, this has not come without criticism for how he conducted the election. His reign has been characterized by both high praises from the citizenry and the world over. He has been cited as one of the most performing and most impressive leaders in Africa.
7. Isaias Afwerki – Eritrea (27 Years)
Isaias is the first and only president of Eritrea since it gained independence in 1991. After fighting for 30 years to regain liberation through Eritrea people’s Liberation Front (EPLF), Isaias took over as the leader of the state and first president.
He is the leader of Eritrea’s only party, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). His form of totalitarian leadership has been marred by numerous atrocities, among them diminishing press freedom and violations of human rights.
The United Nations has ranked his leadership as one that undermines the rights of the citizenry, while Amnesty International has ranked Eritrea last in press freedom for eight years running.
8. Ismaïl Omar Guelleh – Djibouti (20 Years)
Ismail Guelleh is the president of Djibouti. His reign began in 1999 as a handpicked successor after his uncle Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who had reigned over Djibouti since its independence in 1977. Guelleh, commonly referred to using his initials IOG has been re-elected three consecutive terms 2005, 2011, and 2016.
His term has been characterized by both good and bad. In January 2019, Guelleh was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award for safely evacuating Indians from Yemen. However, he has been termed as a dictator in the way he conducts day-to-day activities and policy administration.
9. Hage Geingob – Namibia (19 Years)
Hage is the third and reigning president of the Republic of Namibia. Other than being president, he also served as the prime minister from March 21, 1990, to August 28, 2002. He also served as the minister for trade and industry between March 2008 and 2012.
He has been the president of the currently ruling party, the SWAPO Party. From the time of his election, Hage has been one of the most outgoing leaders in the southern region, earning him a seat as the chairperson of the South African Development Community (SADC).
Hage’s first term was as prime minister and lasted 12 years. His second term as president has been running for eight years now. His reign has been characterized by better leadership with awards and honours representing his reign.
10. Faure Gnassingbé – Togo (15 Years)
Faure is the president of the Republic of Togo. Before rising as the president, he was appointed as the minister of Equipment, Mines, Posts, and Telecommunications by his father and then president of Togo. He served as Minister for two years between 2003 and 2005.
Following the demise of his father in 2005, he was elected as the president with the massive support of the country’s military and has been there since. He has been re-elected in office for three other consecutive terms in 2010, 2015, and the latest in February 2020.
Although he has emerged as the preferred leader for the Togo people, his rise to power was highly refuted by the African Union who termed it as a military coup as opposed to a clean, constitutional process. A day after the death of his father, the national assembly was instructed to dismiss the then president of the national assembly Fambaré Ouattara Natchaba, and appoint Gnassingbé.
The longest-serving presidents in Africa got their power through a liberation movement or won the favour of the electorate. However, some are merely the people’s choicest option from election to election. One clear thing is that Africa is host to some of the longest-serving heads of state, who have ruled more than the conventional two terms in most democracies around the world.
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