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Russian President Vladimir Putin, aged 71, is being viewed as solidifying his de facto lifetime rule following his presidential victory. President Putin is poised to rule for another six years until 2030, marking three decades in power and sparking discussions on long-serving rulers globally.
There are relatively many rulers known for prolonged leadership in the African region, which stands out with numerous leaders often associated with authoritarian regimes.
The current title of the world’s longest-serving ruler belongs to President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, aged 81, of Equatorial Guinea. He has been in power for 45 years so far. President Obiang, a former military officer, seized power by overthrowing his uncle, the first President Francisco Nguema, in a coup in August 1979. He maintains power through iron-fisted rule, including repression of anti-regime figures. He also received the “International Kim Jong Il Prize” from North Korea in August 2013. Recently securing his sixth term in the 2022 presidential election, he is set to prolong his tenure for another seven years, summing up to an unprecedented 50-year reign.
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President Paul Biya of Cameroon (91) has been in the presidential office for 42 years. The world’s oldest head of state, in 1982, he assumed the position following the sudden resignation of the first President Ahmadou Ahidjo during his tenure as prime minister. He has been criticized for extending his regime through iron-fisted rule, including suppressing dissenting voices and abolishing presidential term limits. Additionally, he was once criticized for enjoying a luxurious vacation in a coastal city in western France in 2009.
President Denis Sassou Nguesso (80) of the Republic of Congo has been in power for 40 years, with a hiatus between 1992 and 1997 due to the civil war. He was suspected of embezzling foreign aid and government funds to buy foreign real estate during his tenure.
In addition, President Yoweri Museveni, aged 79, has held power in Uganda for 38 years, while President Isaias Afwerki (78) of Eritrea has held power for 31 years. President Alexander Lukashenko(69) has maintained control over Belarus for 30 years, President Ismail Omar Guellé (77) of Djibouti for 25 years, and President Paul Kagame (66) of Rwanda for 24 years.
Although long-serving leaders are less common in Western nations, Benjamin Netanyahu, the 74-year-old Prime Minister of Israel, is mentioned as a similar case. He first took the prime minister’s office (three-year term) in 1996 and served as prime minister from 2009 to 2021. He then returned as prime minister in December 2022, accumulating over 16 years in total.
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