Africa’s First Rulers

Algeria  Ahmed Ben Bella President

(PM and acting

head of State to 1963) 1962-1965 1916?-alive 

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-alive 

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-alive 

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