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Top 10 Longest-serving Presidents In Africa[PHOTOS]

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1 year ago

August 8, 2024

Africa has seen several presidents who have remained in power for extended periods.

These long-serving presidents often maintain their positions through a mix of constitutional amendments, electoral manipulation, and suppression of political opposition.

Below are the top 10 longest-serving presidents and monarchs in Africa as of 2024.

1. Teodoro Obiang (45 years)

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the President of Equatorial Guinea, holds the record as the longest-serving president in Africa and globally. He has been in power since August 1979, after a military coup that deposed his uncle, Francisco Macías Nguema. Obiang’s tenure has been marked by accusations of human rights abuses and corruption.

2. Paul Biya (42 years)

Paul Biya has been the President of Cameroon since November 6, 1982. As the second-longest-ruling president in Africa, Biya’s administration is heavily supported by France, which has provided military aid and training. His tenure has faced criticism over electoral fraud and governance issues.

3. Denis Sassou Nguesso (40 years)

Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo has served as president for a total of 39 years, although not consecutively. His first term was from 1979 to 1992, and he returned to power in 1997 following a civil war. Nguesso’s long rule is characterized by allegations of corruption and authoritarianism.

4. Yoweri Museveni (38 years)

Yoweri Museveni has been the President of Uganda since January 1986, making him the fourth-longest-serving president in Africa. Museveni rose to power after a successful military campaign against previous regimes. His leadership has been criticized for alleged election rigging and suppression of dissent.

5. King Mswati III (38 years)

King Mswati III of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) ascended to the throne on April 25, 1986, at the age of 18. He is one of the world’s longest-reigning monarchs, co-ruling with his mother, Queen Mother Ntfombi Tfwala. His reign has been marked by ongoing debates over democratic reforms and human rights.

6. Isaias Afwerki (31 years)

Isaias Afwerki has been the President of Eritrea since its independence from Ethiopia in April 1993. His rule is noted for its long duration and the country’s lack of national elections, contributing to ongoing criticisms regarding human rights and governance.

7. Letsie III (28 years)

King Letsie III of Lesotho became monarch in October 1997, following the death of his father, Moshoeshoe II. As a constitutional monarch, his role is largely ceremonial, but he remains one of the longest-serving rulers in Africa.

8. Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (25 years)

Ismaïl Omar Guelleh has been President of Djibouti since 1999. He succeeded his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who had ruled since the country’s independence. Guelleh has faced allegations of extending his presidency through questionable means and electoral practices.

9. Mohammed VI (25 years)

King Mohammed VI of Morocco began his reign on July 23, 1999, following the death of his father, King Hassan II. As one of the most influential Muslim leaders globally, Mohammed VI’s reign has focused on modernization efforts and economic reforms, though it has also faced criticisms.

10. Paul Kagame (24 years)

Paul Kagame has been the President of Rwanda since April 2000. Kagame, who had been the de facto leader since 1994, took office officially following the resignation of then-President Bizimungu. His administration is credited with economic growth and development, though it faces scrutiny over political freedoms and human rights.

Related Topics:Africa President presidents

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Court Jails Two For Targeting President With Sorcery

Published

18 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

A Zambian court on Monday sentenced two men to two years in prison with hard labour on charges of attempting to use witchcraft to kill the country’s president.

Mozambican national Jasten Mabulesse Candunde and Zambian village chief Leonard Phiri were arrested in December in possession of charms, including a live chameleon.

Police said they planned to use the charms to harm President Hakainde Hichilema, and they were charged with professing knowledge of witchcraft and possession of charms.

“The motive of the crime was to kill the head of state,” magistrate Fine Mayambu ruled in the capital Lusaka on Monday.

“The convicts were not only enemies of the head of state but all Zambians. I therefore sentence them to 24 months imprisonment with hard labour from the date of their arrest,” he said.

The prosecution said the men had been hired by the brother of opposition MP Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda, who is facing trial for robbery, attempted murder and escaping custody.

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Two Nigerians Face Jail Terms In Liberia’s Piracy Trial

Published

18 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

Criminal Court ‘D’ in Monrovia is set to deliver judgment this week in Liberia’s first piracy trial, involving two Nigerian nationals accused of hijacking a cargo vessel in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to court records, the defendants were arrested earlier this year after a Liberia-flagged ship was seized by armed men while transporting goods through international waters. The crew sent a distress signal, prompting international maritime forces to intervene.

The suspects were subsequently transferred to Liberian authorities under global maritime cooperation protocols.

According to Liberia’s news platform, Front Page Africa, the case has attracted attention because Liberia maintains one of the world’s largest open ship registries, yet prosecutions for piracy within its domestic courts have not previously occurred. Under international law, Liberia holds jurisdiction over crimes involving ships registered under its flag.

On Monday, proceedings took a new turn when defense lawyer, Cllr. Bestman Juah, informed the court that the defendants had admitted responsibility for the hijacking and were requesting a plea-bargain arrangement. State prosecutors did not oppose the request, leaving open the possibility of reduced sentences in exchange for full cooperation.

Resident Judge Mameita Jabateh-Sirleaf, who presides over Criminal Court ‘D’, will rule on whether to accept the plea deal and determine the sentencing framework. The ruling could also address deportation measures following imprisonment.

Criminal Court ‘D’ handles cases involving armed robbery, terrorism, hijacking, and other serious crimes, and the piracy trial represents a growing trend of transnational offenses being prosecuted within Liberia’s judicial system.
As of press time, the court has not announced the date for sentencing.

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Spain Cancels $825m Israel Arms Deal Over Gaza

Published

18 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

The Spanish government has cancelled a contract worth nearly 700 million euros ($825 million) for Israeli-designed rocket launchers.

The move comes after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced last week that his government would “consolidate in law” a ban on military equipment sales or purchases with Israel over its offensive in Gaza.

The contract, awarded to a consortium of Spanish companies, involved the purchase of 12 SILAM rocket launcher systems derived from the PULS platform made by Israeli firm Elbit Systems, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance.

First reported by local media and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the cancellation was formalised on Spain’s official public contracts platform on September 9.

The following day, Sanchez unveiled measures aimed at stopping what his leftist government called “the genocide in Gaza”.

It includes the approval of a decree imposing a ban on military equipment sales or purchases with Israel due to its military offensive in Gaza, launched after the Hamas attacks in October 2023.

Spain applied the ban as Israel stepped up its military onslaught.

Spain has also formalized the cancellation of another contract for 168 anti-tank missile launchers, which were to be manufactured under license from an Israeli company.

That contract, valued at 287 million euros, had been first reported by the press in June.

According to Spanish daily La Vanguardia, the government is undertaking a broader review to phase out Israeli weapons and technology from its armed forces.

Sanchez has emerged as one of Europe’s most outspoken critics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Gaza policy.

Relations between the two countries have been tense for months.

Israel has not had an ambassador in Spain since Madrid recognized the state of Palestine in 2024.

Last week, Spain recalled its ambassador to Israel after heated exchanges over Sánchez’s new measures.

The Barcelona-based Delas Centre, a security research institute, estimated in April that since the start of the Gaza war, Spain had awarded 46 contracts worth $1.044 billion to Israeli companies, based on public tender data.