Presidential assassinations in Africa: Deby, Gaddafi, Lumumba and others

Former Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, was recently assassinated whiles on the campaign trail.

The incident attracted widespread global condemnation with a number of African leaders expressing their revulsion at the act while sending their condolences.

The continent of Africa, in and of itself, is not alien to high-profile political assassinations.

GhanaWeb takes a brief look at presidential assassinations in the 21st century:

Chad, 20 April 2021

On April 20, hours after he had been declared winner of a presidential election, Chadian leader Idris Deby Itno joined his troops on the frontlines to combat rebels seeking to overthrow him.

The official account says he was killed in an exchange with the rebels. His son, Mahamat Idris Deby Itno, a career soldier, is now in charge as a transitional president.

Libya, 20 October 2011

Over a decade ago, Muammar Gaddafi, the long-serving Libyan leader was shot and killed by rebels during the country’s uprising that had the active military support of NATO.

Libya has yet to heal from the scars of that incident, be it politically, security wise. Election deadlines have failed and the country is split between rival governments.

Guinea-Bissau, 2 March 2009

Joao Bernardo Vieira, the then Guinea-Bissau president was assassinated by soldiers in his palace, the incident took place hours after his rival was killed by a bomb blast.

DRC, 18 January 2001

Laurent Desire Kabila, then President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was assassinated by one of his bodyguards in the presidential palace in Kinshasa.

The guard was also gunned down after the incident with Joseph Kabila, rising to become his father’s successor.

DRC, January 1961

Patrice Émery Lumumba, the DRC’s first Prime Minister was assassination by Belgian authorities in collusion with Congolese politicians.

It is said that he was killed and his body dissolved in acid. The last of his remains, a tooth, kept by a Belgian police officer was recently returned to the country and buried after a national funeral.