180 replies to this topic

[Cowboy Ronnie]

While watching The Last King of Scotland last night, it occurred to me that the loveable African despot is a potentially rich mine of DL candidates. I rushed home, via the pub, hoping to find that the predecessor (and successor) to Idi Amin (a 2003 success) Milton Obote was still alive, but alas he slipped away in 2005. We nabbed PW Botha last year, and have Ian Smith on this year. But the question is, are there any other good candidates out there?

I'd start off with a couple of the obvious: Robert Mugabe, Charles Taylor, Gadaffi (still a despot in my books).

Suggestions most welcome

[Twelvetrees]

 Cowboy Ronnie, on Jan 26 2007, 09:37 AM, said:

While watching The Last King of Scotland last night, it occurred to me that the loveable African despot is a potentially rich mine of DL candidates. I rushed home, via the pub, hoping to find that the predecessor (and successor) to Idi Amin (a 2003 success) Milton Obote was still alive, but alas he slipped away in 2005. We nabbed PW Botha last year, and have Ian Smith on this year. But the question is, are there any other good candidates out there?

I'd start off with a couple of the obvious: Robert Mugabe, Charles Taylor, Gadaffi (still a despot in my books).

Suggestions most welcome

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has a shared thread with Lansana Conte here. I'd suggest merging topics under the more general heading, but the name "A Tale of Two Guineas" is too good to lose.

There are rumours about the health of Jose Eduardo Dos Santos of Angola, but nothing substantial. However, he is one of a dwindling number of African leaders who deserves being called a 'tyrant'.

[Octopus of Odstock]

 Cowboy Ronnie, on Jan 26 2007, 09:37 AM, said:

While watching The Last King of Scotland last night, it occurred to me that the loveable African despot is a potentially rich mine of DL candidates. But the question is, are there any other good candidates out there?

Suggestions most welcome

Yes, loads, as ManInBlack will testify - they, along with racing drivers, are my speciality DL subject. My 2008 DDP team will probably be made up of 20 of them.. (or 10 African Despots & 10 racing drivers...)

To name but a few... Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Haile Mariam Mengistu, Sam Nujoma, Nelson Mandela, Hosni Mubarak, Daniel Arap Moi, Paul Biya, Lansana Conte, Teodoro Obiang Nguema are all worthy candidates and many of them have been mentioned on DL already,

[Twelvetrees]

 Octopus of Odstock, on Jan 26 2007, 06:19 PM, said:

Yes, loads, as ManInBlack will testify - they, along with racing drivers, are my speciality DL subject. My 2008 DDP team will probably be made up of 20 of them.. (or 10 African Despots & 10 racing drivers...)

To name but a few... Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Haile Mariam Mengistu, Sam Nujoma, Nelson Mandela, Hosni Mubarak, Daniel Arap Moi, Paul Biya, Lansana Conte, Teodoro Obiang Nguema are all worthy candidates and many of them have been mentioned on DL already,

May I add Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal (80, but no major health problems reported), and Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia, who had a stroke in April last year?

Oh, and a special mention for the young and healthy Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh of The Gambia, who recently announced that he would personally be curing AIDS and asthma without resorting to conventional medicine.

[themaninblack]

 Octopus of Odstock, on Jan 26 2007, 06:19 PM, said:

 Cowboy Ronnie, on Jan 26 2007, 09:37 AM, said:

While watching The Last King of Scotland last night, it occurred to me that the loveable African despot is a potentially rich mine of DL candidates. But the question is, are there any other good candidates out there?

Suggestions most welcome

Yes, loads, as ManInBlack will testify - they, along with racing drivers, are my speciality DL subject. My 2008 DDP team will probably be made up of 20 of them.. (or 10 African Despots & 10 racing drivers...)

To name but a few... Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Haile Mariam Mengistu, Sam Nujoma, Nelson Mandela, Hosni Mubarak, Daniel Arap Moi, Paul Biya, Lansana Conte, Teodoro Obiang Nguema are all worthy candidates and many of them have been mentioned on DL already,

Yes, I can testify to that...

[Twelvetrees]

There are suggestions that Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia is in a stable condition. Not worth reporting unless there's some doubt. And, if it was a routine health check, then why would he miss a scheduled appointment? Maybe worth tracking to see if any more (mis)information is forthcoming.

I doubt that Major Berrington Mkoma would get a UK obit., but his involvement in the aftermath of the Dian Fossey murder may just earn him a mention somewhere. His illness is unspecified but deemed to be terminal, and the fact that he is being released from prison straight to Lusaka Hospital does not bode well. It seems that Frederick Chiluba can rid himself of political inconveniences even whilst under house arrest.

[DevonDeathTrip]

 Twelvetrees, on Feb 21 2007, 05:27 PM, said:

There are suggestions that Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia is in a stable condition. Not worth reporting unless there's some doubt. And, if it was a routine health check, then why would he miss a scheduled appointment? Maybe worth tracking to see if any more (mis)information is forthcoming.

I doubt that Major Berrington Mkoma would get a UK obit., but his involvement in the aftermath of the Dian Fossey murder may just earn him a mention somewhere. His illness is unspecified but deemed to be terminal, and the fact that he is being released from prison straight to Lusaka Hospital does not bode well. It seems that Frederick Chiluba can rid himself of political inconveniences even whilst under house arrest.

Great minds think alike Duodecim Nemus! His disease is specified (also rumoured to be deliberately and horribly inflicted) I reckon he will get a UK obit.

[Twelvetrees]

 DevonDeathTrip, on Feb 21 2007, 07:53 PM, said:

Great minds think alike Duodecim Nemus! His disease is specified (also rumoured to be deliberately and horribly inflicted) I reckon he will get a UK obit.

That'll learn me to mistakenly think that anyone is too obscure not to have been mentioned by someone else.

However, at the risk of repeating anyone else's comments, Jose Eduardo dos Santos has been having medical checks in Barcelona. A history of cancer means he's worth keeping 'em peeled for.

Also, I know Mugabe has a long-lost thread elsewhere, but I think it should be merged here. He's evidently thinking of doing a runner to Namibia, according to this report. I hope he never gets the chance.

It will interesting to see if we start getting any pro-Mugabe ranters on the site. Thabo Mbeki excepted, of course.

[Octopus of Odstock]

One of Mugabe's chief henchman is not at all well to put it mildly:

Kangai critically ill

[DevonDeathTrip]

Looks like we all missed the Prime Minister of Chad, Pascal Yoadimnadji, who has just died in Paris.

[Canadian Paul]

 DevonDeathTrip, on Feb 23 2007, 04:26 AM, said:

Looks like we all missed the Prime Minister of Chad, Pascal Yoadimnadji, who has just died in Paris.

I saw that this morning and was thinking, boy, after all the countries in Africa that we actually did go over...

[Death in Vegas]

Not technically an African despot as he's never been in power, but Zimbabwe's chief opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai is 'fighting for his life' after a friendly chat with some of Mugabe's heavies.

[No Mere Nosebleed]

The way things are going in Zimbabwe, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Morgan Tsvangirai didn't see the year out. A car accident (arranged) could well happen.

[Mortician]

 No Mere Nosebleed, on Mar 15 2007, 01:18 PM, said:

The way things are going in Zimbabwe, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Morgan Tsvangirai didn't see the year out. A car accident (arranged) could well happen.

I think that you can safely say that Muagbe will not go for the subtlety of an accident, unless you consider lead poisoning caused by gunfire to be accidental.

[Twelvetrees]

Whilst we were all looking at Zimbabwe, things were getting hot in advance of the elections in Benin. The President, Thomas Yayi Boni (or Boni Yayi, depending on which soource you read) survived an assassination attempt last month that went virtually unreported. Early reports suggest that his party has been successful in the elections, and that he will be able to continue the anti-corruption drive that he blames for the attempt on his life. I'm sure we all support him in that decision.

Incidentally, Benin's (or Dahomey as it then was) former President, Emile Zinsou is evidently still alive. Having been sentenced to death in absentia 32 years ago he's probably stopped looking over his shoulder, but at 88, his days may be numbered. Not a lot of information, though.

[honez]

 Twelvetrees, on Apr 3 2007, 07:29 PM, said:

The President, Thomas Yayi Boni (or Boni Yayi, depending on which soource you read) survived an assassination attempt last month that went virtually unreported.

Quote

Before he ran and was elected president last year, he had been the president of the Togo-based West African Development Bank (BOAD) since 1994 and had not spent much time in Benin, according to the BBC.

I do believe he sent me a nice email a while back asking if I'd be willing to help him shift a lazy $500 million out of a defunct account into my own. As I am already fantastically wealthy, I instructed my butler to not respond.

[Paul Bearer]

 honez, on Apr 3 2007, 12:09 PM, said:

 Twelvetrees, on Apr 3 2007, 07:29 PM, said:

The President, Thomas Yayi Boni (or Boni Yayi, depending on which soource you read) survived an assassination attempt last month that went virtually unreported.

Quote

Before he ran and was elected president last year, he had been the president of the Togo-based West African Development Bank (BOAD) since 1994 and had not spent much time in Benin, according to the BBC.

I do believe he sent me a nice email a while back asking if I'd be willing to help him shift a lazy $500 million out of a defunct account into my own. As I am already fantastically wealthy, I instructed my butler to not respond.

You too?

[DevonDeathTrip]

Muammar Gaddaffi was reported today to have been hospitalised after suffering a stroke.

Quote

Gaddaffi’s health is poor, according to the report. According to medics, Gaddaffi is in a coma.

However:

Quote

Later the same day, Italian prime minister Romano Prodi said that he received a call from Gaddaffi, who said that he was fine.

[Monoclinic]

 DevonDeathTrip, on May 14 2007, 09:09 PM, said:

Muammar Gaddaffi was reported today to have been hospitalised after suffering a stroke.

Quote

Gaddaffi’s health is poor, according to the report. According to medics, Gaddaffi is in a coma.

However:

Quote

Later the same day, Italian prime minister Romano Prodi said that he received a call from Gaddaffi, who said that he was fine.

God you could almost start a spin off game, Head of states in a coma list 2007. Okay so the title needs a bit of work but you get the jist. My money's on Giorgio Napolitano, president of Italy. born 1925, could be a little young.