World's 4 Worst, Least-Known Dictators

Meet 'Europe's last dictator' and the guy with 15 wives
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 11, 2015 1:00 PM CDT
World's 4 Worst, Least-Known Dictators
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks after voting in the presidential election in Minsk, Belarus, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015.   (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Kim Jong Un is a terrible, murderous despot, but he's not the only Dr. Evil on the block. Ozy runs through some of the equally ruthless dictators who you've likely never heard of:

  • Alexander Lukashenko: The Belarusian president Condi Rice once called "Europe's last dictator" just got a fifth term in an election that was basically uncontested, reports the AP. Among his charms: A penchant for sending his foes to labor camps, or just making them disappear.

  • King Mswati III: Swaziland's ruler presides over Africa's lone remaining absolute monarchy, and uses his power to marry young girls (15 wives to date) while not doing much in the way of actual ruling (unemployment sits at 23%).
  • Isaias Afwerki: The Eritrean president of 24 years is into torture, imprisoning political foes, and indefinite compulsory military service.
  • Yahya Jammeh: Gambia's president seized power in 1994, and has since fired at peaceful crowds of protesters, tossed suspected witches in jail, and once demanded all gay people leave within 24 hours on threat of being beheaded.
For the full list, which includes a mild-mannered 79-year-old who enforces state-sanctioned abductions, head over to Ozy. (More Isaias Afwerki stories.)

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