2011 saw the fall of four dictators: President Honsi Mubarak of Egypt, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia and Kim Jong-Il of North Korea. Still, there more than 40 countries that remain under authoritarian rule. It got me thinking. Who are the worst of the worst?
I recently found two articles discussing this topic. One is from Parade Magazine and can be read here. The other is from MSNBC.com and can be read here. I’ve decided to rearrange the order somewhat, and my results can be seen below.
Robert Mugabe, (Zimbabwe, 31 years in power): Mugabe, 87, keeps a stranglehold on his people, who face a staggering unemployment rate of more than 85%. In 2008, Mugabe agreed to hold an election, but it became clear that he would accept the result only if he won. His supporters launched attacks on the opposition, killing 163 and torturing or beating 5,000. He ultimately signed a power-sharing agreement with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, but since then Mugabe has broken its terms and installed his own people at the head of every ministry. Meanwhile, health conditions have reached crisis levels. Thousands of Zimbabweans have died from cholera in recent years.
Isaias Afewrki (Eritrea, 20 years in power): Afewerki, 65, once led Eritrea to independence, but today he deprives his citizens of all freedoms. There is no formal constitution, and every male starting at age 18 must enter “national service,” which is forced labor of indefinite length (evaders are jailed or killed). People with unsanctioned religious beliefs are imprisoned and tortured, as are journalists and activists. More than 50,000 Eritreans have escaped to refugee camps in Ethiopia. Western officials allege that Afewerki is aiding Al Qaeda–linked militants in Somalia.
Bashar al-Assad (Syria, 11 years in power): Assad, 46, a trained ophthalmologist, succeeded his father as Syria’s tyrant in chief. As part of the Arab Spring, Syrians began revolting in March, and he responded by ordering the military to bomb and fi re on crowds. Over 3,500 demonstrators (including more than 250 children) have been killed, with over 10,000 jailed or missing at press time. The U.S. and Europe have condemned Assad’s actions, imposing sanctions and calling for his resignation. In an unprecedented move, the Arab League placed economic and political sanctions of its own on member nation Syria after Assad refused to end attacks and to let in monitors.
Omar al-Bashir (Sudan, 22 years in power): Although al-Bashir, 67, took power in a bloodless coup, his reign has been marked by extreme violence. Some progress occurred in 2011—the country was successfully partitioned into two entities, Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan—but the strife continues. In regions under dispute with South Sudan, al- Bashir’s military has bombed civilians, killing untold numbers and causing at least 100,000 to flee. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has charged al-Bashir with genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 have been killed since 2003. The ICC also alleges that he has embezzled billions of dollars.
Islam Karimov (Uzbekistan, 21 years in power): Raised in an orphanage, Karimov, 73, rose through Communist Party ranks to control this former Soviet republic. Activists, journalists, and anyone practicing a religion other than the accepted form of Islam are often jailed, and about 7,000 prisoners are currently being held and tortured. Each fall, university students, teachers, civil servants, and children as young as 9 are forced to live in barracks and harvest cotton under in humane conditions. Karimov’s health is thought to be poor, and some believe his eldest daughter is being groomed to rule.
Thein Sein, (Myanmar, 50 years in power): Since seizing power in a coup nearly 50 years ago, a succession of juntas made up of present and former high-ranking military officials have brutally mismanaged this country and its economy, with its 55 million inhabitants living in starvation. Ethnic minorities continue to suffer—beatings, rapes, bombings, even murder—at the hands of the authorities. But recently the leaders of the Asian nation seem to be taking tiny steps in the right direction. Last year, they held elections, which, although neither free nor fair, resulted in retired General U Thein Sein becoming president and iron-fisted dictator Than Shwe stepping down. (Some observers believe that Than Shwe still wields considerable influence behind the scenes). A parliament was also convened for the first time in 20 years. What’s more, the government has somewhat eased up on the press, rebel groups, and activists like Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released in November 2010 after nearly 20 years of house arrest. Recently, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton—the first American in that position to visit in nearly 50 years—traveled to Myanmar and met with Suu Kyi and with the country’s leaders about reforms and improving diplomatic relations. However, soon after she left, the government’s talks with the Kachin, a minority ethnic rebel group, fell apart, leading to violent clashes, displacing some 26,000 people, and demonstrating that any progress in Myanmar is halting and uncertain.
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, (Equatorial Guinea, 32 years in power): Mbasogo, now 69, became president after he overthrew his own uncle, another dictator, in a bloody coup. Under his rule, he has funneled the country’s wealth into private bank accounts which he and his son, the country’s current Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, spend on mansions in the U.S., fast cars in Paris, and the one of the world’s largest super-yachts. While this oil-rich country’s per capita GDP is comparable to Denmark’s, a shocking 80 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day and it has the second-highest child mortality rate in the world, according to a 2010 report from the University of Washington. Elections are periodically held, but the outcome is inevitably rigged.
Raul Castro (Cuba, 5 years in power): Raul, 80, the younger brother of frail Fidel, 85, has generally maintained his sibling’s legacy of repressive leadership. Raul was named acting President of the Council of State of Cuba in July 2006, assuming presidential duties, and he was officially elected president of Cuba in 2008. The Communist Party of Cuba controls all aspects of the government, and there is no free press. The island nation’s 11.3 million citizens are not allowed to leave the country without permission, which is often denied. However, the number of political prisoners has decreased significantly in the last couple of years, and Raul has introduced some economic reforms, including privatizing some agricultural land and other real estate. Yet unjustly punitive laws persist, including a selectively-enforced prohibition on the unauthorized assembly of more than three people, which is punishable with up to three months in prison and a fine, and a “dangerousness” provision that allows the government to imprison people who seem like they might commit a crime in the future.
Hugo Chavez (Venezuela 12 years in power): In 1992, the first time Chavez tried to take over the government of Venezuala, he was put in prison. Upon being released after serving two years, he founded the Fifth Republic Movement, a socialist democratic party, and he was elected the country’s president, taking office in February 1999. Since then, he has built a military dictatorship in an area that has been historically plagued by them. Now 57, Chavez has largely squelched freedom of the press, persecuted members of the political opposition by arresting and jailing them, stripped power from once-autonomous universities, and turned the independent judiciary into an instrument to hand down heavy sentences to political opponents. Although reportedly suffering from some form of metastatic cancer, Chavez has shown little sign of slowing down and intends to run for re-election next year.
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The Takeaway: Throughout the world, 2011 was a transformational year for the balance of power between people and their governments. Hopefully in 2012 we’ll take another step in this rebalance.
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