Like father, like son: Africa's longest-serving leaders

Chad’s junta person Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno is hoping to expanse May 6 elections and widen the much than three-decade regularisation of his household implicit the cardinal African country.

The predetermination comes a week aft the westbound African federation of Togo held a ballot which could prolong the Gnassingbe dynasty, successful powerfulness for implicit fractional a century.

Chad’s Deby Itno took implicit successful April 2021 astatine the caput of a subject authorities aft his father, Idriss Deby Itno, who ruled with an robust fist, died portion connected his mode to pb a conflict against rebels.

The elder Deby was 1 of a radical of African strongmen who person clung onto powerfulness for decades.

Here’s a look astatine the longest-serving of the continent’s existent leaders:

– Obiang: record-holder –
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo holds the longevity grounds with astir 45 years successful powerfulness successful oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.

Jimmy Carter was US president erstwhile Obiang came to powerfulness successful a coup successful August 1979 that saw him oust his uncle, who was past executed by firing squad.

In November 2022, astatine the property of 80, Obiang won a sixth word with an authoritative 94.9 percent of the vote, implicit which the US voiced “serious doubts”.

He is believed to beryllium preparing his son, Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, usually called Teodorin, to beryllium his successor.

But the younger Obiang has made headlines internationally for each the incorrect reasons.

France, Britain and the US person seized millions of dollars of assets, from mansions to luxury cars, that helium is believed to person acquired illicitly.

– Biya: 4 decades and counting –
Cameroon has lived done much than 41 years of mostly unchallenged and hardline regularisation nether President Paul Biya.

The 91-year-old runs the state done a precise tiny ellipse of aides, whom helium appoints and banishes arsenic helium sees fit.

He has overseen a ruthless crackdown connected dissent since his highly contested re-election successful 2018.

Openly talking astir succession is taboo but 1 of the names that has cropped up is that of his lad Franck.

– Sassou Nguesso: 40 years –
In Congo-Brazzaville, Denis Sassou Nguesso, officially aged 80, has been successful powerfulness for a combined 40 years.

The erstwhile paratrooper was president from 1979 to 1992, past returned to bureau successful 1997 aft a civilian warfare and has dominated authorities ever since.

The person dubbed the “emperor” is wide expected to tally for a 5th word successful 2026.

– Museveni: six presumption –
In Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, 79, has led his state for 38 years, since January 1986. He was re-elected successful January 2021 for a sixth word aft a contested campaign.

A Supreme Court ruling to abolish an property ceiling of 75 allowed him to basal erstwhile again and proceed serving.

In March, helium appointed his lad Muhoozi Kainerugaba to caput the defence forces, starring 1 absorption lawmaker to impeach Museveni of treating the state arsenic his “personal enterprise”.

– Mswati: king since his teens –
Eswatini, the erstwhile Swaziland and Africa’s past remaining implicit monarchy, has been ruled by 56-year-old King Mswati III for 38 years.

He ascended to the throne successful April 1986 aged conscionable 18.

In 2021, dozens of radical were killed successful a crackdown connected pro-democracy protests.

– Afwerki: implicit 30 years –
Isaias Afwerki, 78, has ruled the Horn of Africa federation of Eritrea with an robust fist since independency successful May 1993.

Known arsenic the North Korea of Africa, the state which has 1 of the world’s worst rights records, imposes indefinite subject conscription that had led galore young Eritrean men to fly abroad.

In 2022, the UN counted 501,677 refugees and 76,071 Eritrean asylum-seekers astir the world, equivalent to astir fractional the colonisation of Eritrea’s superior Asmara.