In July 2015, the son of ex-dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, was sentenced to death for war crimes.
Gaddafi was one of the longest ruling dictators before being killed during the Libyan revolution.
But there are still a number of decades-long dictatorships active around the world.
So, who are the longest reigning dictators?
Now, technically the title of dictator only applies to those leaders who rule with absolute
authority, usually in single-party states with repressive policies.
While some world leaders come close to fitting this description, for example Russia’s Vladimir
Putin, who has been in power for nearly 16 years, they are not necessarily dictators.
Nearly all long term dictatorships can be found in Africa.
The most commonly acknowledged longest ruling dictator is the President of Cameroon, Paul
Biya.
The dictator’s 40-year reign has been marred by rigged elections, the removal of term limits,
and repressive censorship laws.
Biya has been ranked as one of the world’s worst dictators for widespread torture by
police, and the physical intimidation of journalists . However, in 2008 the leader changed the
constitution to give himself immunity for his crimes.
Another notoriously repressive dictator is President Obiang of Equatorial Guinea.
Since ousting his own uncle as President in 1979, Obiang’s 36-year-long rule has turned
the country into one of the world’s worst human rights situations.
Despite being the richest country per capita in Africa, the oil-rich nation ranks near
the bottom of the Human Development Index.
Half of the population even lacks access to clean water.
Obiang’s press censorship has also been called the “worst of the worst” by Freedom
House.
The state controls all media and restricts international coverage.
One journalist was even suspended for briefly mentioning Libya’s revolution in 2011.
The country is also a major source and destination for human trafficking.
Another African country with a long standing dictator is Angola.
President José Eduardo dos Santos has been in power since 1979, and been accused of repeat
election fraud.
Under his rule, Angola has become one of the most corrupt countries in Africa.
Nearly three quarters of the population lives on less than $2 a day.
Meanwhile, Dos Santos’s family and business associates have become extremely wealthy,
through kickbacks from nearly every industry.
In 2012, nearly half of the country’s 70 billion dollar oil revenues went missing.
In trying to track down illegal finances, a number of journalists have been arrested
and fined under an anti-defamation law.
Journalists are regularly threatened, harmed, and imprisoned while money continues to be
siphoned to the dictator and his family.
In July 2015, President Obama visited Africa, and warned dictators that they would not see
progress so long as they continued their lifelong rule.
He also criticized restrictions on free speech and increasing human rights abuses.
While other countries have decades-long dictatorships, like Zimbabwe and Cambodia, they all follow
a similar pattern of disenfranchisement, violence, and extreme inequality.
Although these dictatorships number amongst the longest, there are much worse dictators
around the world.
For a more complete list of active dictatorships, watch this video.
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