Country | First ruler | Office | Tenure | Birth-Death | Fate |
Algeria | Ahmed Ben Bella | President (PM and acting head of State to 1963) | 1962-1965 | 1916-2012 | |
Angola | Agostinho Neto | President | 1975-1979 | 1922-1979 | |
Benin (formerly Dahomey) | Hubert Maga | President (also chairman of the Presidential Council -head of State- in 1970-72) | 1960-1963 | 1916-2000 | |
Botswana | Sir Seretse Khama | President | 1966-1980 | 1921-1980 | |
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) | Maurice Yaméogo | President | 1960-1966 | 1921-1993 | |
Burundi | Mwambutsa IV | King (King before independence since 1915) | 1962-1966 | 1912-1977 | |
André Muhirwa | Prime Minister (PM before independence since 1961) | 1962-1963 | 1920-2003 | |
Cameroon | Ahmadou Ahidjo | President (also Prime Minister in 1960) | 1960-1982 | 1924-1989 | |
Cape Verde | Aristides Pereira | President | 1975-1991 | 1923-2011 | |
Central African Republic | David Dacko | President (also Prime Minister in 1960) | 1960-1966 | 1930-2003 | |
Chad | François Tombalbaye | President (styled head of State to 1962; also PM 1959-75) | 1960-1975 (assassinated) | 1918-1975 (assassinated) | |
Comoros | Ahmed Abdallah | President (and again 1978-1989) | 1975 | 1919-1989 (assassinated) | |
Rep. of Congo | Fulbert Youlou | President | 1960-1963 | 1917-1972 | |
Dem. Rep. of Congo (formerly Zaire) | Joseph Kasavubu | President | 1960-1965 | 1913-1969 | |
Patrice Lumumba | Prime Minister | 1960 | 1925-1961 (assassinated) | |
Côte d'Ivoire | Félix Houphouët-Boigny | President | 1960-1993 | 1905-1993 | |
Djibuti | Hassan Gouled Aptidon | President | 1977-1999 | 1916-2006 | |
Equatorial Guinea | Francisco Macías Nguema | President | 1968-1979 | 1922-1979 (executed) | |
Eritrea | Issayas Afeworki | President | 1993-in office | 1946-alive | |
Ethiopia (No colonized country) | Haile Selassie I | Emperor (Negus) | 1930-1974 | 1892-1975 (reportedly assassinated in prison) | |
Gabon | Léon M'Ba | President (PM and acting president to 1961) | 1960-1967 | 1902-1967 | |
Gambia | Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara | President (as PM to 1970) | 1965-1994 | 1924-alive | |
Ghana | Kwame Nkrumah | President (as PM to 1960) | 1957-1966 | 1909-1972 | |
Guinea | Ahmed Sékou Touré | President (as PM to 1961) | 1958-1984 | 1922-1984 | |
Guinea-Bissau | Luís Cabral | President | 1974-1980 | 1931-2009 | |
Kenya | Jomo Kenyatta | President (also PM 1963-64) | 1964-1978 | 1891-1978 | |
Lesotho | Moshoeshoe II | King (Paramount chief before independence since 1960) | 1966-1990 (excepting brief period in 1970) | 1938-1996 (accident) | |
Leabua Jonathan | Prime Minister | 1966-1986 | 1914-1987 | |
Liberia (independent since 1847) | William Tubman | President | 1944-1971 | 1895-1971 | |
Libya | Idris I as-Sanusi | King | 1951-1969 | 1890-1983 | |
Madagascar (formerly Magalasy Republic) | Philibert Tsiranana | President | 1960-1972 | 1910-1978 | |
Malawi | Hastings Kamuzu Banda | President (as PM to 1966) | 1964-1994 | 1898-1997 | |
Mali | Modibo Keita | President (Styled head of State to 1965) | 1960-1968 | 1915-1977 | |
Mauritania | Moktar Ould Daddah | President (acting to 1961) | 1960-1978 | 1924-2003 | |
Mauritius | Seewoosagur Ramgoolam | Prime Minister (and Chief Minister 1961-68) | 1968-1982 | 1900-1985 | |
Morocco | Muhammad V | King (Sultan 1955-57) | 1956-1961 | 1909-1961 | |
Mozambique | Samora Machel | President | 1975-1986 (accident) | 1933-1986 (accident) | |
Namibia | Sam Nujoma | President | 1990-2005 | 1929-alive | |
Niger | Hamani Diori | President | 1960-1974 | 1916-1989 | |
Nigeria | Nmandi Azikiwe | President (as Governor-General to 1963) | 1960-1966 | 1904-1996 | |
Sir Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa | Prime Minister (also before independence since 1957) | 1960-1966 (assassinated) | 1912-1966 (assassinated) | |
Rwanda | Grégoire Kayibanda | President (and before independence since 1961) | 1962-1973 | 1924-1976 (in prison) | |
São Tomé and Príncipe | Manuel Pinto da Costa | President | 1975-1991 | 1937-alive | |
Senegal | Léopold Sédar Senghor | President | 1960-1980 | 1906-2001 | |
Seychelles | Sir James Mancham | President | 1976-1977 | 1939-alive | |
Sierra Leone | Sir Milton Margai | Prime Minister | 1961-1964 | 1895-1964 | |
Somalia | Abdullah Osman Daar | President (acting to 1961) | 1960-1967 | 1908-2007 | |
The Sudan | Ismail al-Azhari | Prime Minister | 1956 | 1902-1969 | |
Swaziland | Sobhuza II | King (Paramount Chief 1921-68) | 1968-1982 | 1899-1982 | |
Tanzania | Julius Nyerere | President (also ruler of Tanganyka 1961-64) | 1964-1985 | 1922-1999 | |
Togo | Sylvanus Olympio | President (acting to 1961) | 1960-1963 (assassinated) | 1902-1963 (assassinated) | |
Tunisia | Habib Bourguiba | President (as PM to 1957) | 1956-1987 | 1903-2000 | |
Uganda | Sir Edward Mutesa | President (also King of Buganda as Mutesa II) | 1963-1966 | 1924-1969 | |
Milton Obote | Prime Minister (as president since 1966; also president 1980-1985 | 1963-1971 | 1925-2005 | |
Zambia | Kenneth Kaunda | President | 1964-1991 | 1924-alive | |
Zimbabwe | Robert Mugabe | President (as PM to 1987) | 1980-in office | 1921-alive | |