Tedodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial New Guinea
(1979 – Present)
The name Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo might sound familiar and that is because he is the one who took power from his uncle Francisco Macias Nguema in 1979. He has held power with an iron fist and remains the longest-serving president in the entire world and the longest-serving leader in Africa. He started his rule on a positive note, saying that his leadership would end the tyranny of his uncle. Political prisoners were released and the governmental system of forced labor was abolished. However, he continues to win presidential elections through fraudulent means winning as much as 97% of the vote. Few members of the international community believe that the elections in Equatorial New Guinea are free. Obiang has also refused to step down from his position as president despite term limits in the 2011 constitution.
There have been numerous human rights abuses including killings done by the government, unlawful imprisonment, torture, and horrible conditions within prisons. There is no free press in the country and the opposition party while legal, often finds themselves facing punishment from the government. Obiang has also created a cult of worship in the state for himself, with streets that commemorate his coup, people wear clothes with his pictures on them and speeches are always ended with giving him well-wishes.
His theft of state funds has increased his personal wealth and the wealth of his family to staggering levels. It is believed that he has a net worth of $600 million which makes him one of the world’s wealthiest heads of state. In 2003 he took control of the treasury because of “widespread corruption” and said that he needed to put half a billion dollars into a bank account that he controlled in order to protect it. Obiang and his cabinet get billions each year in oil revenue but it does not translate to more public spending but rather spending on presidential expenses.