African Leaders - Despots and Democratic

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

While watching The Last King of Scotland last night, it occurred to me that the loveable African despot is a potentially rich mine of DL candidates. I rushed home, via the pub, hoping to find that the predecessor (and successor) to Idi Amin (a 2003 success) Milton Obote was still alive, but alas he slipped away in 2005. We nabbed PW Botha last year, and have Ian Smith on this year. But the question is, are there any other good candidates out there?

I'd start off with a couple of the obvious: Robert Mugabe, Charles Taylor, Gadaffi (still a despot in my books).

Suggestions most welcome

[Twelvetrees 10]

While watching The Last King of Scotland last night, it occurred to me that the loveable African despot is a potentially rich mine of DL candidates. I rushed home, via the pub, hoping to find that the predecessor (and successor) to Idi Amin (a 2003 success) Milton Obote was still alive, but alas he slipped away in 2005. We nabbed PW Botha last year, and have Ian Smith on this year. But the question is, are there any other good candidates out there?

 

I'd start off with a couple of the obvious: Robert Mugabe, Charles Taylor, Gadaffi (still a despot in my books).

 

Suggestions most welcome

 

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has a shared thread with Lansana Conte here. I'd suggest merging topics under the more general heading, but the name "A Tale of Two Guineas" is too good to lose.

 

There are rumours about the health of Jose Eduardo Dos Santos of Angola, but nothing substantial. However, he is one of a dwindling number of African leaders who deserves being called a 'tyrant'.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,186]

While watching The Last King of Scotland last night, it occurred to me that the loveable African despot is a potentially rich mine of DL candidates. But the question is, are there any other good candidates out there?

 

Suggestions most welcome

 

Yes, loads, as ManInBlack will testify - they, along with racing drivers, are my speciality DL subject. My 2008 DDP team will probably be made up of 20 of them.. (or 10 African Despots & 10 racing drivers...)

 

To name but a few... Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Haile Mariam Mengistu, Sam Nujoma, Nelson Mandela, Hosni Mubarak, Daniel Arap Moi, Paul Biya, Lansana Conte, Teodoro Obiang Nguema are all worthy candidates and many of them have been mentioned on DL already,

[Twelvetrees 10]

Yes, loads, as ManInBlack will testify - they, along with racing drivers, are my speciality DL subject. My 2008 DDP team will probably be made up of 20 of them.. (or 10 African Despots & 10 racing drivers...)

 

To name but a few... Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Haile Mariam Mengistu, Sam Nujoma, Nelson Mandela, Hosni Mubarak, Daniel Arap Moi, Paul Biya, Lansana Conte, Teodoro Obiang Nguema are all worthy candidates and many of them have been mentioned on DL already,

 

May I add Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal (80, but no major health problems reported), and Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia, who had a stroke in April last year?

 

Oh, and a special mention for the young and healthy Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh of The Gambia, who recently announced that he would personally be curing AIDS and asthma without resorting to conventional medicine.

[themaninblack 2,112]

While watching The Last King of Scotland last night, it occurred to me that the loveable African despot is a potentially rich mine of DL candidates. But the question is, are there any other good candidates out there?

 

Suggestions most welcome

 

Yes, loads, as ManInBlack will testify - they, along with racing drivers, are my speciality DL subject. My 2008 DDP team will probably be made up of 20 of them.. (or 10 African Despots & 10 racing drivers...)

 

To name but a few... Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Haile Mariam Mengistu, Sam Nujoma, Nelson Mandela, Hosni Mubarak, Daniel Arap Moi, Paul Biya, Lansana Conte, Teodoro Obiang Nguema are all worthy candidates and many of them have been mentioned on DL already,

 

Yes, I can testify to that...

[Twelvetrees 10]

There are suggestions that Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia is in a stable condition. Not worth reporting unless there's some doubt. And, if it was a routine health check, then why would he miss a scheduled appointment? Maybe worth tracking to see if any more (mis)information is forthcoming.

 

I doubt that Major Berrington Mkoma would get a UK obit., but his involvement in the aftermath of the Dian Fossey murder may just earn him a mention somewhere. His illness is unspecified but deemed to be terminal, and the fact that he is being released from prison straight to Lusaka Hospital does not bode well. It seems that Frederick Chiluba can rid himself of political inconveniences even whilst under house arrest.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

There are suggestions that Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia is in a stable condition. Not worth reporting unless there's some doubt. And, if it was a routine health check, then why would he miss a scheduled appointment? Maybe worth tracking to see if any more (mis)information is forthcoming.

 

I doubt that Major Berrington Mkoma would get a UK obit., but his involvement in the aftermath of the Dian Fossey murder may just earn him a mention somewhere. His illness is unspecified but deemed to be terminal, and the fact that he is being released from prison straight to Lusaka Hospital does not bode well. It seems that Frederick Chiluba can rid himself of political inconveniences even whilst under house arrest.

 

 

Great minds think alike Duodecim Nemus! His disease is specified (also rumoured to be deliberately and horribly inflicted) I reckon he will get a UK obit.

[Twelvetrees 10]

Great minds think alike Duodecim Nemus! His disease is specified (also rumoured to be deliberately and horribly inflicted) I reckon he will get a UK obit.

 

That'll learn me to mistakenly think that anyone is too obscure not to have been mentioned by someone else.

 

However, at the risk of repeating anyone else's comments, Jose Eduardo dos Santos has been having medical checks in Barcelona. A history of cancer means he's worth keeping 'em peeled for.

 

Also, I know Mugabe has a long-lost thread elsewhere, but I think it should be merged here. He's evidently thinking of doing a runner to Namibia, according to this report. I hope he never gets the chance.

 

It will interesting to see if we start getting any pro-Mugabe ranters on the site. Thabo Mbeki excepted, of course.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,186]

One of Mugabe's chief henchman is not at all well to put it mildly:

 

Kangai critically ill

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

Looks like we all missed the Prime Minister of Chad, Pascal Yoadimnadji, who has just died in Paris.

[Canadian Paul 97]

Looks like we all missed the Prime Minister of Chad, Pascal Yoadimnadji, who has just died in Paris.

 

I saw that this morning and was thinking, boy, after all the countries in Africa that we actually did go over...

[Death in Vegas 3]

Not technically an African despot as he's never been in power, but Zimbabwe's chief opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai is 'fighting for his life' after a friendly chat with some of Mugabe's heavies.

[No Mere Nosebleed 0]

The way things are going in Zimbabwe, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Morgan Tsvangirai didn't see the year out. A car accident (arranged) could well happen.

[Mortician 2]

The way things are going in Zimbabwe, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Morgan Tsvangirai didn't see the year out. A car accident (arranged) could well happen.

I think that you can safely say that Muagbe will not go for the subtlety of an accident, unless you consider lead poisoning caused by gunfire to be accidental.

[Twelvetrees 10]

Whilst we were all looking at Zimbabwe, things were getting hot in advance of the elections in Benin. The President, Thomas Yayi Boni (or Boni Yayi, depending on which soource you read) survived an assassination attempt last month that went virtually unreported. Early reports suggest that his party has been successful in the elections, and that he will be able to continue the anti-corruption drive that he blames for the attempt on his life. I'm sure we all support him in that decision.

 

Incidentally, Benin's (or Dahomey as it then was) former President, Emile Zinsou is evidently still alive. Having been sentenced to death in absentia 32 years ago he's probably stopped looking over his shoulder, but at 88, his days may be numbered. Not a lot of information, though.

[honez 79]

The President, Thomas Yayi Boni (or Boni Yayi, depending on which soource you read) survived an assassination attempt last month that went virtually unreported.

Before he ran and was elected president last year, he had been the president of the Togo-based West African Development Bank (BOAD) since 1994 and had not spent much time in Benin, according to the BBC.

I do believe he sent me a nice email a while back asking if I'd be willing to help him shift a lazy $500 million out of a defunct account into my own. As I am already fantastically wealthy, I instructed my butler to not respond.

[Paul Bearer 6,099]

The President, Thomas Yayi Boni (or Boni Yayi, depending on which soource you read) survived an assassination attempt last month that went virtually unreported.

Before he ran and was elected president last year, he had been the president of the Togo-based West African Development Bank (BOAD) since 1994 and had not spent much time in Benin, according to the BBC.

I do believe he sent me a nice email a while back asking if I'd be willing to help him shift a lazy $500 million out of a defunct account into my own. As I am already fantastically wealthy, I instructed my butler to not respond.

 

You too?

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

Muammar Gaddaffi was reported today to have been hospitalised after suffering a stroke.

 

Gaddaffi’s health is poor, according to the report. According to medics, Gaddaffi is in a coma.

 

However:

 

Later the same day, Italian prime minister Romano Prodi said that he received a call from Gaddaffi, who said that he was fine.

[Guest Guest]

While watching The Last King of Scotland last night, it occurred to me that the loveable African despot is a potentially rich mine of DL candidates. But the question is, are there any other good candidates out there?

 

Suggestions most welcome

 

Yes, loads, as ManInBlack will testify - they, along with racing drivers, are my speciality DL subject. My 2008 DDP team will probably be made up of 20 of them.. (or 10 African Despots & 10 racing drivers...)

 

To name but a few... Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Haile Mariam Mengistu, Sam Nujoma, Nelson Mandela, Hosni Mubarak, Daniel Arap Moi, Paul Biya, Lansana Conte, Teodoro Obiang Nguema are all worthy candidates and many of them have been mentioned on DL already,

 

I doubt the history books will record Mandela as being a "despot"

[Monoclinic 39]

Muammar Gaddaffi was reported today to have been hospitalised after suffering a stroke.

 

Gaddaffi’s health is poor, according to the report. According to medics, Gaddaffi is in a coma.

 

However:

 

Later the same day, Italian prime minister Romano Prodi said that he received a call from Gaddaffi, who said that he was fine.

 

 

God you could almost start a spin off game, Head of states in a coma list 2007. Okay so the title needs a bit of work but you get the jist. My money's on Giorgio Napolitano, president of Italy. born 1925, could be a little young.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,186]

Muammar Gaddaffi was reported today to have been hospitalised after suffering a stroke.

 

Gaddaffi’s health is poor, according to the report. According to medics, Gaddaffi is in a coma.

 

However:

 

Later the same day, Italian prime minister Romano Prodi said that he received a call from Gaddaffi, who said that he was fine.

 

Considering Gadaffi is suing the news agency that said he is in a coma, I presume that the exalted one is alive & well. Indeed, the report says that he looked well in a press conference today & "far from being in a coma"

[Canadian Paul 97]

I'm not sure if he counts as a despot or not, but Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, the first president of Somalia and the world's oldest former head of state has died.

 

I believe that gives Sir Anthony Mamo the new crown.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,186]

I'm not sure if he counts as a despot or not, but Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, the first president of Somalia and the world's oldest former head of state has died.

 

I believe that gives Sir Anthony Mamo the new crown.

 

Ah, bollocks, another "secret" candidate gone.

 

Not really a despot, no - in fact, quite a nice chap. Indeed, CP, Mr Mamo is the oldest ex-leader around now...

[Canadian Paul 97]

I'm not sure if he counts as a despot or not, but Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, the first president of Somalia and the world's oldest former head of state has died.

 

I believe that gives Sir Anthony Mamo the new crown.

 

Ah, bollocks, another "secret" candidate gone.

 

Not really a despot, no - in fact, quite a nice chap. Indeed, CP, Mr Mamo is the oldest ex-leader around now...

 

You too huh? I was going to include him on my WDP, but I was afraid that he wasn't alive ala J. Leonard Reinsch, who was picked by a host of people on the RDP, and then was subsequently discovered to have died in 1991. Figured that if it could happen to a White House Press Secretary, an ancient Somali head of state could have slipped under the radar as well. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof as Carl Sagan.

[Canadian Paul 97]

I'm not sure if he counts as a despot or not, but Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, the first president of Somalia and the world's oldest former head of state has died.

 

I believe that gives Sir Anthony Mamo the new crown.

 

Ah, bollocks, another "secret" candidate gone.

 

Not really a despot, no - in fact, quite a nice chap. Indeed, CP, Mr Mamo is the oldest ex-leader around now...

 

Death reported in error. He's in a coma, in critical condition, but not dead yet.