Presidential succession - a recurring theme in African politics
ten days after the January 2001 murder of Laurent Kabila, his son, Joseph Kabila, took over as president. Ali Bongo won the 2009 Gabonese presidency after the death of his father Omar Bongo. Faure Gnassingbe took over as president after the death of his father Gnassingbe Eyadema (in violation of Togo’s Constitution which stipulates that the Speaker of Parliament should succeed the president in the event of his death)*. Gamel Mubarak is being groomed to take the reigns from his father Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. In Sudan, Karim Wade is widely viewed as a strong candidate to succeed his father Abdoulaye Wade as president. Nepotism is also no stranger in Libya where Moamer Gaddafi has just named his son, Saif Al Islam Moammar Kadafi, head of state. Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has awarded several members of his family with high ranking positions in his cabinet and is rumoured to be grooming his son, Lt Col Kainerugaba Muhoozi, to be president. Playboy Teodoro Nguema Obiang is likely next in line to take over from his father Obiang Nguema as president of the oil rich nation of Equitorial Guinea.
(Source: Lord Aikins Adusei)
How will these new dynasties affect the next era of African politics?
Laurent Kabila Jr. - DRC
Faure Gnassingbe - Togo
Gamal Mubarak; Hosni Mubarak - Egypt
Karim Wad - Senegal
Saif Al Islam Moammar Kadafi - Libya
Yoweri Museveni - Uganda
Obiang Nguema - equitorial Guinea
