Africa

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Africas Top Twelve Worst Dictators
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Choose the Worst Dictator!

• Its time to play Africas Worst Dictator!
• Number your paper 1-12 and rank these African
  Dictators in order of cruelty
• Write their name and country
• 1 is the worst
• Answer the 2 summary questions at the end

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1. Mengistu Haile Mariam (1937 - )

• Ethiopia
• Know as The Red Terror for his links with the
  USSR.
• Executed 1.5 million of his own people in 4
  years.
• (Top ten genocides of the century)
• Stole international food aid during Ethiopias
  famine.
• Ousted in 1991 and fled to Zimbabwe.

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1. Mariam

• Ruled from 1977 to 1987
• Oversaw the Ethiopian Red Terror
• Fled to Zimbabwe in 1991 at the conclusion of the
  Ethiopian Civil War
• Found guilty of genocide with some estimates
  being as high as more than two million deaths

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2. Omar Al-bashir (1947 )

• Sudan
• Seized power by military coup in 1989 over the
  democracy.
• 1 million people killed in Sudanese Civil War.
• 9 million have fled the country or been place in
  internal exile
• Dissolved Sudans parliament, banned political
  parties, closed down all independent media.
• Imposed strict Islamic Law (Shariah) and brutally
  repressed non-Muslims.

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2. Al-Bashir

• Came to power through a bloodless military coup
  in 1989
• Has been elected president three times since then
• Major Projects Merowe Dam, Roseires Dam,
  expansion of electricity, construction of five
  new bridges over Nile River, building a large
  number of highways and roads, drilling oil,
  building oil refineries and oil pipes,
  established 36 new universities, expanded water
  pipelines, built up car and aircraft industry
• Introduced Islamic law---Sharia Law

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2. Al-Bashir

• But for all the positive things he has done, he
  has carried out the Sudanese Civil War, which is
  one of the longest running and deadliest wars in
  the last century
• Carried out the Darfur Genocide that led to the
  split and creation of South Sudan
• The Civil War led to the death of at least
  200,000 to 400, 000 people and the creation of
  2.5 million refugees.
• March 2009---arrest warrant issued on counts of
  war crimes and crimes against humanity
• Has embezzled at least 9 billion dollars

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3. Idi Amin Dada (1925 - 2003)

• Uganda
• President from 1971-1979
• A former boxer, rose through the ranks of the
  Army. Seized power through military coup.
• Reigned with brutal torture and violence. Bodies
  were found with genitals, noses, livers, and eyes
  missing.
• Prison camps were filled with common citizens and
  prisoners were forced to kill each other.
• 300,000 people were killed under Amin, with
  60,000 Kenyans being expelled from the country.
• 1976 declared himself president for life.
• Heavy Military soldiers held government
  positions
• Invaded Tanzania in 1978, but was defeated
• Has been called Africas Adolph Hitler

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3. Dada

• Rule was characterized by human rights abuses,
  political repression, ethnic persecution,
  extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and
  gross economic mismanagement
• He killed between 100,000 to 500,000 people
  depending on what source you go to.

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4. Charles Taylor (1931 - )

• Liberia
• Elected as president in 1997
• Has been accused of using rape, mutilation, and
  torture as instruments of terror
• Is accused of using civilians as slave labor
• Personal wealth is greater than Liberias Gross
  National Product
• Gained wealth by looting Liberias natural
  resources gold, diamonds, rubber, and timber
• Supports rebels in Sierra Leone by smuggling
  illegal diamonds

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4. Taylor

• Was a warlord before his election to presidency
• Linked to blood diamonds and illegal arms trading
• Frequently interferes with neighboring states

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5. Robert Mugabe (1924- )

• Zimbabwe
• In 1980 became first president after independence
  from Britain
• Became more dictatorial and lost popularity
• Physically removed white farmers from their land
  in land redistribution program
• Any opposition to Mugabes regime is not
  tolerated
• Accused of stashing large amounts of money in
  foreign bank accounts

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5. Mugabe

• Arrested and tortured opponents and human rights
  activists.
• His actions created an inflation increase of over
  200,000 percent.
• Gave amnesty to the murderers of his political
  opponents in 2000
• Ignores all court rulings

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6. Issayas Afeworki (1945 - )

• Eritrea
• Became president in 1991 with independence from
  Ethiopia
• His party split and brutally repressed opponents
• Shut down all of Eritreas free media and
  arrested high-ranked officials of his own
  government
• Cracked down on young dissidents at Eritreas
  only university
• Over 2000 university students were sent to
  community work camps
• The student union leader disappeared

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7. Siad Barre (1919-1995)

• Somalia
• Seized power in 1969 military coup
• Divided up Somalias clans against each other
• Accused of killing thousands of innocent
  civilians and their livestock and poisoning their
  water supplies
• Estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 people were
  killed between 1988-1990
• Overthrown in 1991 and fled to Nigeria

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7. Barre

• Took over in a military coup
• Attempted to develop a cult of personality
• Dreamed of a Greater Somalia
• Tried to annex part of Ethiopia

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8. Muammar Al-Gaddafi (1942 - 2011)

• Libya
• Overthrew monarchy in 1969 coup
• Anti-western attitudes have brought conflict
  with U.S.
• Accused of being associated with terrorist
  organizations
• Controls all media in Libya and criticism is not
  tolerated
• Ordered assassination of Libyan dissidents in the
  1980s
• Political trials are held in private and
  offenders regularly tortured
• Believed to be more moderate in recent times

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8. Gaddafi

• Ruled for 42 years, seized power in a bloodless
  military coup in 1969
• Controlled Africas largest oil reserves

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9. Laurent Kabila (1939-2001)

• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Overthrew Joseph Mobutu in 1997 to become
  president
• 3.3 million people were killed under his rule
• Removed officials from different tribes than his
  own
• Sent political opponents into exile
• Shot by his own bodyguard in 2001

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9. Kabila

• Took power in a coup
• No elections while he was in power
• Actions led to the First and Second Congo Wars

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10. Hissene Habre

• Chad
• President from 1982 until 1990
• Widespread genocide against ethnic minorities
  during his rule
• Personal secret police believed to have
  assassinated tens of thousands of political
  opponents
• Systematic use of torture was common practice
• Currently in exile in Senegal
• Facing charges of crimes against humanity in
  Belgium

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11. Jean-Bedel Bokassa (1921-1996)

• Central African Republic
• Became president from 1966 until 1979 in a
  military coup
• Helped establish the new army of independent
  C.A.R.
• Abolished the countrys constitution and declared
  himself president for life
• Adopted the title of emperor after a 30
  million coronation ceremony
• Made himself rich while brutally exploited his
  people
• Personally involved in torture, executions, and
  even cannibalism
• Ousted by a French-backed coup in 1979
• Returned in 1986, but was arrested, convicted and
  sentenced to death for crimes against humanity
• His sentence was changed to life in prison, but
  was released in 1993
• Had 17 wives and 50 children
• Died of a heart attack in 1996

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11. Bokassa

• Ruled from 1966-1979
• Took power in a coup
• Assumed power as president of the Republic and
  became head of the sole political party
• Abolished the constitution
• Made himself emperor in 1976

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12. Sekou Toure (1922-1984)

• Guinea
• Became first president after independence in 1958
• Brought poverty and slavery to Guinea
• Established death camps in the 1960s that
  lasted 20 years
• Tortured and executed many of Guineas elite
  class
• One million Guineans fled the country for
  political and economic reasons
• Died during surgery in the U.S. in 1984

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12. Toure

• Killed at least 50,000 people
• Actions led to 250,000 refugees

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Whos your 1?

• Add up the votes for each dictator to find out
  Africas Worst Dictator!
• http//abesha.wordpress.com/2008/01/31/top-12-afri
  cas-worst-dictators/

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Summary

• Why have there been so many dictators in Africa?
• What impact have corrupt leaders had on African
  countries?