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FRIST POST INDEPENDENCE AFRICAN LEADERS

KEY:
Red balloon Overthrown in military coup

Yellow balloon Dismissed or forced to resign
Green balloon Resigned voluntarily
Blue balloon Replaced through free elections
Black balloon Deceased in office
White balloon Still in office

Country First ruler Office Tenure Birth-Death Fate
Algeria Ahmed Ben BellaPresident
(PM and acting
head of State to 1963)
1962-19651916-2012
Angola Agostinho Neto President1975-19791922-1979
Benin
(formerly Dahomey)
Hubert Maga President
(also chairman of
the Presidential Council
-head of State- in 1970-72)
1960-19631916-2000
Botswana Sir Seretse KhamaPresident1966-19801921-1980
Burkina Faso
(formerly Upper Volta)
Maurice YaméogoPresident1960-19661921-1993
Burundi Mwambutsa IVKing
(King before independence
since 1915)
1962-19661912-1977
André MuhirwaPrime Minister
(PM before independence
since 1961)
1962-19631920-2003
Cameroon Ahmadou AhidjoPresident
(also Prime
Minister in 1960)
1960-19821924-1989
Cape Verde Aristides PereiraPresident1975-19911923-2011
Central African Republic David DackoPresident
(also Prime
Minister in 1960)
1960-19661930-2003
Chad François TombalbayePresident
(styled head of State to 1962;
also PM 1959-75)
1960-1975
(assassinated)
1918-1975
(assassinated)
Comoros Ahmed AbdallahPresident
(and again 1978-1989)
19751919-1989
(assassinated)
Rep. of Congo Fulbert YoulouPresident1960-19631917-1972
Dem. Rep. of Congo
(formerly Zaire)
Joseph KasavubuPresident1960-19651913-1969
Patrice LumumbaPrime Minister19601925-1961
(assassinated)
Côte d'Ivoire Félix Houphouët-BoignyPresident1960-19931905-1993
Djibuti Hassan Gouled Aptidon President1977-19991916-2006
Equatorial Guinea Francisco Macías Nguema President1968-19791922-1979
(executed)
Eritrea Issayas Afeworki President1993-in office1946-alive
Ethiopia
(No colonized country)
Haile Selassie I Emperor (Negus)1930-19741892-1975
(reportedly
assassinated in prison)
Gabon Léon M'BaPresident
(PM and acting
president to 1961)
1960-19671902-1967
Gambia Sir Dawda Kairaba JawaraPresident
(as PM to 1970)
1965-19941924-alive
Ghana Kwame NkrumahPresident
(as PM to 1960)
1957-19661909-1972
Guinea Ahmed Sékou TouréPresident
(as PM to 1961)
1958-19841922-1984
Guinea-Bissau Luís CabralPresident1974-19801931-2009
Kenya Jomo KenyattaPresident
(also PM 1963-64)
1964-19781891-1978
Lesotho Moshoeshoe IIKing
(Paramount chief before
independence since 1960)
1966-1990
(excepting brief
period in 1970)
1938-1996
(accident)
Leabua JonathanPrime Minister1966-19861914-1987
Liberia
(independent since 1847)
William TubmanPresident1944-19711895-1971
Libya Idris I as-SanusiKing1951-19691890-1983
Madagascar
(formerly Magalasy Republic)
Philibert TsirananaPresident1960-19721910-1978
Malawi Hastings Kamuzu BandaPresident
(as PM to 1966)
1964-19941898-1997
Mali Modibo KeitaPresident
(Styled head of State
to 1965)
1960-19681915-1977
Mauritania Moktar Ould DaddahPresident
(acting to 1961)
1960-19781924-2003
Mauritius Seewoosagur RamgoolamPrime Minister
(and Chief Minister
1961-68)
1968-19821900-1985
Morocco Muhammad VKing
(Sultan 1955-57)
1956-19611909-1961
Mozambique Samora MachelPresident1975-1986
(accident)
1933-1986
(accident)
Namibia Sam NujomaPresident1990-20051929-alive
Niger Hamani DioriPresident1960-19741916-1989
Nigeria Nmandi AzikiwePresident
(as Governor-General to 1963)
1960-19661904-1996
Sir Abubakar Tafawa-BalewaPrime Minister
(also before independence
since 1957)
1960-1966
(assassinated)
1912-1966
(assassinated)
Rwanda Grégoire KayibandaPresident
(and before independence
since 1961)
1962-19731924-1976
(in prison)
São Tomé and Príncipe Manuel Pinto da CostaPresident1975-19911937-alive
Senegal Léopold Sédar SenghorPresident1960-19801906-2001
Seychelles Sir James ManchamPresident1976-19771939-alive
Sierra Leone Sir Milton MargaiPrime Minister1961-19641895-1964
Somalia Abdullah Osman DaarPresident
(acting to 1961)
1960-19671908-2007
The Sudan Ismail al-AzhariPrime Minister19561902-1969
Swaziland Sobhuza IIKing
(Paramount Chief
1921-68)
1968-19821899-1982
Tanzania Julius NyererePresident
(also ruler of Tanganyka
1961-64)
1964-19851922-1999
Togo Sylvanus OlympioPresident
(acting to 1961)
1960-1963
(assassinated)
1902-1963
(assassinated)
Tunisia Habib BourguibaPresident
(as PM to 1957)
1956-19871903-2000
Uganda Sir Edward MutesaPresident
(also King of Buganda
as Mutesa II)
1963-19661924-1969
Milton ObotePrime Minister
(as president since 1966;
also president 1980-1985
1963-19711925-2005
Zambia Kenneth KaundaPresident1964-19911924-alive
Zimbabwe Robert MugabePresident
(as PM to 1987)
1980-in office1921-alive