See 4 Longest-Reigning African Dictators

In Africa, good governance is growing in demand. Citizens are insisting that their leaders honor constitutionally mandated presidential terms. Philanthropic and business leader Mo Ibrahim and his foundation reward good governance with millions of dollars, incentivizing leaders in the process to step down once their terms are complete. In Nigeria’s recent election, former President Goodluck Jonathan received kudos for handing over power peacefully following his defeat by Muhammadu Buhari.

Of the world’s 30 dictators who have most successfully held onto power, 14 are in Africa. These are 10 of the longest-reigning African dictators.

This is an updated version of an article that originally appeared Nov. 21, 2013.

 Longest-Reigning African Dictators

4. Idriss Déby Itno, Chad, 24 years 3 months

Déby seized control of Chad during a rebellion against then-President Hissène Habré in December 1990. He has since managed to survive a number of attempts to overthrow him.

3. Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Sudan, 25 years, 11 months

In June 1989, Bashir overthrew the democratically elected civilian government and appointed himself president in a bloodless coup. Since he took office his country has been in a state of civil war with more than 1 million reported dead. In March 2009, the International Criminal Court in the Hague issued an arrest warrant for Bashir — a first for a sitting head of state — for genocide and crimes against humanity.

This morning, Bashir slipped out of South Africa, where he was attending the 25th Annual African Union Summit, dealing a blow to the International Criminal Court’s six-year campaign to bring him to justice. On Sunday the court issued an order for South African authorities to prevent Bashir from leaving.

2. Blaise Compaoré, Burkina Faso, 26 years, 1 month

Blaise Compaoré ran Burkina Faso after deposing his predecessor Thomas Sankara in an October 1987 coup. Subsequently he won “landslide victories” (contested by the opposition) in the presidential polls – taking 80 percent of the vote in 2010. Although a law in Burkino Faso was passed in 2005 prohibiting presidents from serving more than two terms, Compaoré said he didn’t have to abide by it as his country’s constitutional court ruled it could not be applied retroactively. Then he changed his mind, or had it changed for him. Compaoré resigned on Oct. 31, 2014.

1. Yoweri Museveni, Uganda, 29 years, 4 months

Yoweri Museveni seized power in January 1986 following a five-year guerrilla war and declared himself Uganda’s president. Shortly after taking power he banned multiparty politics, although he re-introduced the system again in 1996. Not that it particularly mattered, as Museveni won a fourth term in office in 2011 despite third-time opponent Kizza Besigye’s cries of foul play.