check out the five successful assassinations of African leaders

With the recent failed assassination attempt of former US President Donald Trump on Saturday (16 July),  asaaseradio.com dives into some of the successful assassinations of five contemporary African leaders.

1. Patrice Lumumba (1925-1961)

How: Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC), was captured by his political rivals at the time which was Moïse Tshombe and his supporters with assistance from the governments of Belgium and the United States and executed by a firing squad on 17 January 1961. His body was dismembered and dissolved in acid.

Why: Lumumba’s strong stance on Congolese independence and alignment with the Soviet Union during the Cold War threatened Western interests and Belgian colonial power. His pan-Africanist vision and call for economic independence were seen as radical and dangerous by both internal rivals and external powers.

2. Herbert Chitepo (1923–1975)

How: Herbert Chitepo, a prominent Zimbabwean nationalist and leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), was assassinated on 18 March 1975, by a car bomb in Lusaka, Zambia.

Why: Chitepo was a key figure in the struggle for Zimbabwe’s independence from British colonial rule. His assassination was attributed to internal ZANU rivalries, though some believe it involved Rhodesian security forces aiming to destabilise the liberation movement.

3. Jeremias Chitunda (1942–1992)

How: Jeremias Chitunda, vice-president of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), was ambushed and killed by government forces on 2 October 1992, in Luanda, Angola, during the country’s three-day war also known as the “Halloween Massacre.”

Why: Chitunda was targeted due to his high-ranking position in UNITA, which was in conflict with the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). His death occurred amid tensions following contested elections, highlighting the power struggle between the two factions.

4. Thomas Sankara (1949–1987)

How: Thomas Sankara, President of Burkina Faso, was assassinated on October 15, 1987, during a coup led by his former ally Blaise Compaoré. Sankara was killed by gunfire along with twelve of his aides.

Why: Sankara’s revolutionary policies, which included land reforms, nationalisation, and efforts to reduce dependency on foreign aid, alienated powerful interest groups, including the military and international actors. Compaoré, supported by external powers like France, saw Sankara’s radical changes as a threat to stability and economic interests.

5. Samuel Doe (1951–1990)

How: Samuel Doe, President of Liberia, was captured, tortured, and executed by rebel forces led by Prince Johnson on 9 September 1990, during the First Liberian Civil War.  It also sparked the first ECOWAS peacekeeping mission. His execution was filmed by Prince Johnson and his rebels highlighting the brutality of the conflict.

Why: Doe’s regime was marked by ethnic favouritism, corruption, and human rights abuses, leading to widespread discontent. His violent suppression of opposition and economic mismanagement fueled the civil war. His capture and execution were acts of vengeance and a power grab by rival factions.

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