Africa: Rulers

Updated August 13, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

Congo: Rulers

Theophile Theodore Joseph Antoine Baron Wahis, governor-general of the Belgian Congo (1900–12)
Felix Alexandre Fuch, governor-general of the Belgian Congo (1912–16)
Eugene Joseph Marie Henry, governor-general of the Belgian Congo (1916–21)
Maurice Eugene Auguste Lippens, governor-general of the Belgian Congo (1921–23)
Martin Joseph Marie René Rutten, governor-general of the Belgian Congo (1923–27)
Auguste Constant Tilkens, governor-general of the Belgian Congo (1927–34)
Pierre Marie Joseph Ryckmans, governor-general of the Belgian Congo (1934–46)
Eugène Jacques Pierre Louis Jungers, governor-general of the Belgian Congo (1946–51)
Léon Antoine Marie Petillon, governor-general of the Belgian Congo (1951–58)
Henri Arthur Adolf Marie Christopher Cornelis, governor-general of the Belgian Congo (1958–60)
Patrice Emergy Lumumba, prime minister of the Republic of the Congo (1960)
Moise Tshombe, president of Katanga (1960–61), prime minister of the Republic of the Congo (1964–65)
Joseph Kasavubu, president of the Republic of the Congo (1960–65)
Denis Sassou Nguesso, president of the Republic of the Congo (1979–92; 1997–)
Mobutu Sese Seko, president of Zaïre (1965–97)
Laurent Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1997–2001)
Joseph Kabila, son of Laurent, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2001–)

Morocco: Rulers

Yakub I, ruler of Morocco (1184–99) and Moorish Spain.
Ismail, sultan of Morocco (1672–1727)
Abd ar-Rahman, sultan of Morocco (1822–59)
Hassan, sultan of Morocco (1873–94)
Abd al-Aziz IV, sultan of Morocco (1894–1908)
Abd al-Hafiz, sultan of Morocco (1908–12)
Yusuf, sultan of Morocco (1912–27)
Muhammad V, sultan of Morocco (1927–53, 1955–57), king of Morocco (1957–61)
Muhammad VI, sultan of Morocco (1953–55)
Council of Throne Guardians (1955)
Hassan II, king of Morocco (1961–1999)
Muhammad VI, king of Morocco (1999–)

South Africa: Rulers

Sir John Henry Brand, South African politician, president of the Orange Free State (1864–71)
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Krüger, president of Transvaal (1883–1902)
Martinus Theunis Steyn, last president (1896–1900) of the Orange Free State
Hamilton John Goold-Adams, governor of the Orange Free State (1901–02, 1907–10)
Sir Alfred Milner, governor of Cape Colony (1897–1901), governor of Orange River Colony, Orange Free State (1902–05), governor of Transvaal (1902)
Sir John Gordon Sprigg, premier of Cape Colony (1900–04)
Sir Walter Francis Hely-Hutchinson, governor of Natal (1893–1901), governor of Cape Colony (1901–09)
Sir Henry Edward McCallum, governor of Natal (1901–07)
Leander Starr Jameson, premier of Cape Colony (1904–08)
William Waldegrave Palmer, Earl of Selborne, governor of the Orange Free State (1905–07), governor of Transvaal (1906–10)
Sir Matthew Nathan, governor of Natal (1907–10)
John Xavier Merriman, premier of Cape Colony (1908–10)
Paul Sandford, Baron Methuen of Corsham, governor of Natal (1910)
Herbert John Gladstone, Viscount Gladstone, governor-general of South Africa (1910–14)
Louis Botha, prime minister of South Africa (1910–19)
Sydney Charles Buxton, Viscount Buxton, governor-general of South Africa (1914–20)
Jan Christian Smuts, prime minister of South Africa (1919–24, 1939–48
Arthur Frederick Patrick Albert, Duke of Connaught, governor-general of South Africa (1920–24)
Alexander, Earl of Athlone, governor-general of South Africa (1924–31)
James Hertzog, prime minister of South Africa (1924–39)
George Herbert Hyde Villiers, Earl of Clarendon, governor-general of South Africa (1931–37)
Sir Patrick Duncan, governor-general of South Africa (1937–43)
Nicolaas Jacobus de Wet, acting governor-general of South Africa (1943–46)
Gideon Brand van Zyl, governor-general of South Africa (1946–51)
Daniel F. Malan, prime minister of South Africa, (1948–54)
Ernest George Jansen, governor-general of South Africa (1951–59)
Johannes G. Strijdom, prime minister of South Africa (1954–58)
Charles Robberts Swart, governor-general of South Africa (1959–61), president of South Africa (1961–67)
Hendrik F. Verwoerd, prime minister of South Africa (1958–66)
Jozua François Naudé, acting president of South Africa (1967–68)
Jacobus Johannes Fouché, president of South Africa (1968–75)
Nicolaas J. Diederichs, president of South Africa (1975–78)
Marais Viljoen, president of South Africa (1978, 1979–84)
B. J. Vorster, prime minister of South Africa (1966–78), governor-general of South Africa (1978–79)
Pieter Willem Botha, prime minister of South Africa (1978–84), governor-general of South Africa (1984–89)
J. Christian Heunis, acting president of South Africa (1989)
Frederik Willem de Klerk, South African president (1989–94)
Nelson Mandela, South African president (1994–1999)
Thabo Mbeki, South African president (1999–2008)
Kgalema Motlanthe, South African president (2008–2009)
Jacob Zuma, South African president (2009–2018)
Cyril Ramaphosa, South African president (2018-)

Selected Rulers from Other African Nations

(alphabetical by last name)

Ahmadou Ahidjo, president of the United Republic of Cameroon (1960–82)
Pietro Badoglio, governor of Tripolitania (Libya) (1929–33)
Italo Balbo, governor-general of Libya (1933–40)
Hastings Kamuzu Banda, African political leader, president of Malawi (1966–94)
Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, president of Tunisia (1987–2011)
Ahmed Ben Bella, Algerian Prime Minister (1962–63), president (1962–65)
Jean Bedel Bokassa, president of Central African Republic (1966–79)
Houari Boumedienne, president and prime minister of Algeria (1965–78)
Ketchwayo Cetshwayo, king of the Zulus (1872–79)
David Dacko, president of the Central African Republic (1960–66, 1979–81)
Moktar Ould Daddah, president of Mauritania (1961–78)
José Eduardo Dos Santos, Angolan president (1979–)
Félix Éboué, commissioner-General of French Congo and French Equatorial Africa (1941–44)
Gnassingbé Eyadéma, president of Togo (1967–)
Yakubu Gowon, Nigerian head of state (1966–75)
Rodolfo Graziani, Marchese Di Neghelli, governor of Cyrenaica, Libya (1930–34), Governor-General (1940–41)
Teshafi Teezaz Aklilu Habte-Wold, prime minister of Ethiopia (1961–74)
Félix Houphouët-Boigny, African political leader, president (1960–93) of Côte d'Ivoire.
Idris I, king of Libya (1951–69)
Joseph Leabua Jonathan, prime minister of Lesotho (1965–86)
Jugurtha, king of Numidia (118–106 B.C.)
Kenneth David Kaunda, African political leader, president of Zambia (1964–91)
Jomo Kenyatta, African political leader, first president of Kenya (1964–78)
Khama, chief of the Bamangwato people of Bechuanaland (now Botswana) (1875–1923?)
Sir Seretse Khama, president of Botswana (1966–80)
Seyni Kountché, president of Niger (1974–87)
Hilla Limann, president of Ghana (1979–81)
Lobengula, king of Matabeleland (now in Zimbabwe) (1870–93)
Samora Machel, president of Mozambique (1975–86)
Sir Milton Margai, prime minister of Sierra Leone (1961–64)
Mengistu Haile Mariam, president of Ethiopia (1987–91)
Masinissa, king of Numidia (c. 238 – 148? B.C.)
Menelik II, emperor of Ethiopia after 1889
Pierre Messmer, high commissioner of French Congo and French Equatorial Africa (1958)
Daniel T. arap Moi, president of Kenya (1978–2002)
Robert Gabriel Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe (1987–)
Mutesa I, kabaka, or king, of Buganda (now in Uganda), c.1857–84
Agostinho Neto, first president of independent Angola (1975–79)
Francisco Macias Nguema, first president of Equatorial Guinea (1968–79)
Kwame Nkrumah, African political leader, prime minister (1957–60) and president (1960–66) of Ghana
Julius Kambarage Nyerere, African political leader, first president (1964–85) of Tanzania
Apollo Milton Obote, president of Uganda (1966–71, 1980–85)
Sylvanus Olympio, African political leader, president of Togo (1961–63)
Muammar Al-Qaddafi, Prime Minister of Libya (1969–1972)
Radama I, founder of the kingdom of Madagascar
Denis Sassou-Nguesso, Congolese army officer and president of the Congo (Brazzaville) (1979–92, 1997–)
Haile Selassie, emperor of Ethiopia (1930–74)
Léopold Sédar Senghor, African statesman and poet, president (1960–80) of the republic of Senegal
Alhaji Shehu Shagari, president of Nigeria (1979–83)
Shaka, paramount chief (1818–28) of the Zulus
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president (2006–present) of Liberia
Ian D. Smith, prime minister of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) (1964–65), prime minister of Rhodesia (1965–79)
Sobhuza II, king of Swaziland (1921–82)
Siaka Probyn Stevens, president of Sierra Leone (1971–85)
Tewodros II, emperor of Ethiopia (1855–68)
William Richard Tolbert, Jr., president of Liberia (1971–80)
Ahmed Sékou Touré, African political leader, president (1958–84) of the republic of Guinea
Philibert Tsiranana, president of the Malagasy Republic (now Madagascar) (1960–72)
William Vacanarat Shadrach Tubman, president of Liberia (1944–71)
Maxime Weygand, Algerian Governor-General (1941)
Fulbert Youlou, first president of the Congo (Brazzaville) (1960–63)