Arab Spring Not Done Yet, Who's Next Among the World's "Forever" Rulers?

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Image via WikipediaThis is an update of the post we did back in February when Egypt had its people power. With Muammar Qaddafi now dead, we can't help but wonder who will be the next one to fall.

MUAMMAR AL-QADDAFI of Libya
Since September 1969
Years in power: 41
(killed on October 20, 2011)

ALI ABDULLAH SALEH of Yemen
Assumed office as President of North Yemen in 1978
As President of Yemen from 1990–present
Years in power: 32


TEODORO OBIANG MBASOGO of Equatorial Guinea
Since August 1979
Years in power: 32

JOSE EDUARDO DOS SANTOS of Angola
September 1979
Years in power: 32

ROBERT MUGABE of Zimbabwe
Since February 1980
Years in power: 31

HOSNI MUBARAK of Egypt
Since October 1981
Years in power: 29
(deposed from power on February 11, 2011)

PAUL BIYA of Cameroon
Since November 1982
Years in power: 29

YOWERI MUSEVENI of Uganda
Since January 1986
Years in power: 25

BLAISE COMPAORÉ of Burkina Faso
Since October 1987
Years in power: 24

ZINE EL ABIDINE BEN ALI of Tunisia
Since bloodless coup in November 1987
Years in power: 23
(forced to flee to Saudi Arabia on 14 January 2011; sentenced in absentia to 35 years in prison on 20 June 2011)

OMAR HASSAN AL-BASHIR of Sudan
Since 1989
Years in power: 22

ISLAM KARIMOV of Uzbekistan
Since March 1990
Years in power: 21

IDRISS DÉBY of Chad
Since December 1990
Years in power: 20

Isaias Afewerki of Eritrea
Since May 1991
Years in power: 20

Bashar al-Assad of the Syria
Assumed office on 17 July 2000
(after death of father, Hafez al-Assad  who was in power for three decades)
Years in power: 11
(emergency law since 1963, 9.2.% unemployment, and 30% of the population lives in poverty)

Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria
Assumed office 27 April 1999
Years in office: 11
(highly educated population, 10 % unemployment rate, under 15 years old youth bulge at 30%)


* * *

KING MSWATI III of Swaziland
Came to the throne in April 1986
Years in power: 24


King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
since 6 March 1999 as Emir
since 14 February 2002 as King
Years in power: 12 years
 (2011 Bahraini Uprising)

Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Ascended the throne on 7 February 1999
(after death of father, King Hussein who was in power for 46 years)
Years in power: 12 years
(highly educated population with chronic high unemployment rate)

Mohammed VI of Morocco
Ascended the throne on July 1999
(after death of father, Hassan II of Morocco who was in power for 38 years)
Years in power: 12 years
(second most populous Arab country after Egypt, 10% unemployment rate)

King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia
Ascended the throne on August 1, 2005
(after death of half-brother, King Fahd who was in power for 23 years)
Years in power: 6 years
(issues with corruption, religious extremism and 11.6% unemployment rate)
(Corrected: Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud died of unspecified illness in New York, October 2011)

Related articles

• Col Gaddafi kiled: Bashar al-Assad will be next to fall, declare Syrians (telegraph.co.uk)
• Gaddafi dead: how Libya conflict unfolded - timeline (mirror.co.uk)
• Gaddafi's Death: A Lesson for Other Arab Rulers (usnews.com)
• Analysis: Gadhafi's death a cautionary tale (sfgate.com)