Accountability Zero

The Life and Times of an African Leader

An excerpt from Cassie Knight's book Brazzaville Charms (with parenthetical commentary by the author of this blog) accurately depicts the life and times of so many African rulers both living and dead- a tragic portrait of unfortunate circumstances.

People had voted for Lissouba (fill in the name of any African dictator) because they believed he could build a broad-based alliance that would clean up Congo’s political corruption and bring new life to the rural economy. But, once he was president, with access to the enormous wealth of the offshore oil fields, Lissouba’s (any African dictator’s) sole preoccupation was staying in power. Oil money (or revenue from any other desirable commodity) was siphoned into foreign bank accounts to prepare for the eventuality of having to leave office, militias were armed and recruited, and senior government positions were given to family and close friends who could be relied on in a time of crisis.

There was little change or improvement on Sassou’s Marxist dictatorship (or any past African regime). Ethnic rivalry increased, suspicion was sharpened by the memory of violence, public spending on health and on education went into decline, and government money went into a new set of politicians’ pockets.

When Lissouba (or any other African dictator for that matter) was ousted by Sassou in the civil war of 1997, Lissouba fled and took up residency in London. He lives in luxury in Knightsbridge, spending time also in his townhouse in Paris.

Endnote: (Lissouba was rewarded richly for ruling Congo as if the oil and natural resources were his own personal treasure with no regard for the health or welfare of the Congolese people other than his own family and close friends.)

Pascal Lissouba was the President of the Republic of Congo from 1992 until 1997 when he was overthrown by the current President Denis Sassou Nguesso in the 1997 civil war.