Supporters of the Cameroon Nation’s Democratic Motion (CPDM) retain the pristine marketing campaign cloth bearing the picture of Cameroon’s President and presidential candidate Paul Biya.
AFP by way of Getty Photographs/AFP
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AFP by way of Getty Photographs/AFP
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Next a newspaper reported in 1897 that the superb American editor Mark Twain had died, a bemused — however very a lot alive — Twain famously quipped: “the report of my death was an exaggeration.”
This century, a number of getting older African leaders have additionally needed to renounce untimely experiences in their deaths, like Cameroon’s Paul Biya closing 12 months when rumours of his demise unfold on social media later he wasn’t unhidden in society for a occasion.
It grew to become out the 92-year-old, who has the honour of being the arena’s oldest, non-royal, chief, was once merely in place of abode at his 2nd house in Switzerland.
Cameroon incumbent President Paul Biya flanked through his spouse, Cameroon First Girl Chantal Biya (R), addresses a marketing campaign rally in Maroua on October 7, 2025.
ROBERT FIMBAYE/AFP/by way of Getty
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ROBERT FIMBAYE/AFP/by way of Getty
This Sunday he’s searching for an eighth term in office –- having dominated Cameroon for 43 years — that professionals say he’s all however assured to win for the reason that his most powerful rival was once barred from working. His nation is beset with problems together with jihadist violence, a separatist motion, and systemic corruption.
Biya is some distance from an detached instance in Africa, which in spite of being the continent with the arena’s youngest family, boasts diverse gerontocracies.
“It is an irony for a continent whose median age is just 19,” says Africa analyst Paul Nantulya. He says “third-termism” as he dubs some African leaders’ makes an attempt to grasp to energy, “is a disease.”
NPR appears at some extra of Africa’s oldest leaders.
Malawi’s newly sworn-in President Peter Mutharika makes his inaugural pronunciation all over his swearing-in and founding rite at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, on October 4, 2025.
AMOS GUMULIRA/AFP by way of Getty photographs
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AMOS GUMULIRA/AFP by way of Getty photographs
Peter Mutharika, Malawi, 85
Out with the aging and in with the…used. That’s how the miniature southern African sovereignty of Malawi voted last month once they elected their former president, 85-year-old Peter Mutharika, over incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, elderly 70.
Malawians have been bored to death with emerging prices and horrific gasoline shortages.
Alassane Ouattara, Ivory Coast, 83
Ouattara, a former economist for the World Financial Capitaltreasury, is working on October 25 for a fourth time period. In 2020 he mentioned he wouldn’t run once more, because the charter avoided leaders from working for greater than two phrases. In spite of that commitment, Ouattara nearest modified the charter to permit himself to run once more, sparking violent protests.
Ivory Coast, a former French colony and the arena’s manage cocoa manufacturer, continues to be improving from a brutal civil warfare within the early 2000s.
There were protests once more this occasion within the run-up to the polls, later two opposition leaders have been barred from contesting the vote.
Teodoro Obiang Nguema, Equatorial Guinea, 83
Next Cameroon’s Biya, who beats him through only some months, the longest-ruling chief in Africa is Obiang. At 83 he has additionally dominated his nation for 43 years.
The petrostate on Africa’s West coast has most effective had two presidents since self government from Spain within the Sixties. The primary was once Obiang’s personal uncle, who he overthrew in a coup in 1979.
Portrait of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, 1979
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Gianni Ferrari/Getty Photographs
The rustic is successfully a one-party atmosphere and world witnesses have lengthy mentioned elections are unsuitable with Obiang typically taking 90-plus % of the vote. In a single vote casting district in 2002, he even received 103 percent of the poll.
Equatorial Guinea additionally has a shocking human rights record and dire atmosphere of press self-government. In spite of the rustic’s gigantic oil wealth, modest has trickled all the way down to usual voters presen Obiang is keen on mansions, superyachts and comfort vehicles.
The Trump administration just lately authorized a waiver of sanctions towards Obiang to permit him to progress to Unused York for the UN Normal Meeting. He met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Condition Christopher Landau and the 2 correct to enlarge ties.
Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe, 83
Born only a few months later Obiang, Mnangagwa changed into president of the Southern African folk later deposing his geriatric predecessor, Robert Mugabe, in a 2017 coup. On the past Mugabe was once 93 and had the identify of the world’s oldest leader.
Zimbabweans was hoping Mnangagwa, 18 years Mugabe’s yongster, would permit isolated and honest elections, recovery the rustic’s damaged economic system and finish corruption. 8 years nearest, many Zimbabweans say issues are worse underneath the person they dub “the crocodile.”
The stand of Gen Z
However there are expanding indicators past could be up for Africa’s getting older leaders. Younger Africans are bored to death with the situation quo, with so-called “Gen Z” protests erupting this 12 months in nations like Kenya, Togo, Madagascar and Morocco.
And a few younger leaders are at the stand. Burkina Faso’s 37-year-old period in-between president Ibrahim Traoré is likely one of the youngest on this planet. Even though he rose to energy in a 2022 coup, he’s extremely prevailing with the folk’s early life. Upcoming in Uganda, elections after 12 months will see popstar-turned-politician Bobi Wine, 43, tackle longtime President Yoweri Museveni, 81 – who is looking for a 7th time period in place of work.
In fact, it’s no longer most effective Africa that has formally getting older leaders. Iran’s best chief Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei is 86, King Salman of Saudi Arabia is 89, and the closing two US presidents, Joe Biden and Donald Trump are 82 and 79 respectively.
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