By Igwe Patrick

The history of Africa has been shaped through the emergence of various young leaders, either through democratic elections or through military coups. These leaders have faced crises and challenges within their nations and helped in enacting solutions. This article briefly yet judiciously highlights five of the various leaders to have emerged in Africa.

5. Yahya Jammeh (The Gambia, 29 years old)

Yahya Jammeh came into power through a bloodless coup on July 22, 1994, at the age of 29 and ruled The Gambia from 1994 to 2017.  He overthrew Sir Dawda Jawara from his elected seat, after which he was elected in subsequent years (2001, 2006, 2011) but was accused of election rigging. The Jammeh regime was accused of various human rights crimes.

However, in January 2017, Jammeh lost the presidential election to Adama Barrow and initially refused to step down, leading to a military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He was removed from power and sent into exile.

4.  Samuel Doe (Liberia, 28 years old)

Samuel Doe was a significant figure in Liberia’s modern history, known for his military coup, presidency, and the brutal end to his rule. Doe assumed power over Liberia at the age of 28 and was the first indigenous leader of Liberia.

Doe led a coup that overthrew President William Tolbert, bringing an end to 133 years of Americo-Liberian political dominance. Years later, he was killed in a civil war against Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), with videos of his death widely spread.

3. Muammar Gaddafi (Libya, 27 years old)

At just 27 years old, Muammar Gaddafi seized control of Libya in 1969 through a peaceful coup that deposed King Idris. Over the next four decades, he maintained a firm grip on power, shaping the nation through his distinctive political philosophy known as the “Third International Theory.” His tenure was characterised by sweeping economic initiatives, contentious domestic and foreign policies, and widespread criticism over human rights abuses. Gaddafi’s rule came to a violent end in 2011 when he was toppled and killed during the uprising that erupted amid the Libyan Civil War.

2. Michel Micombero (Burundi, 26 years old)

At just 26, Michel Micombero emerged as a central figure in Burundi’s political history by orchestrating a coup that ousted King Ntare V in 1966. In the aftermath, he dismantled the monarchy and proclaimed Burundi a republic, installing a military-led regime with himself at the helm. His tenure was defined by authoritarian control, intensifying ethnic divisions—particularly between the Hutu and Tutsi populations—and fostering an environment of political suppression. The resulting instability left deep scars on the nation.

In 1976, his rule came to an abrupt end when he was deposed in another coup, this time led by Jean-Baptiste Bagaza. Micombero spent his remaining years in exile, dying in 1983 in Somalia. Before rising to power, Micombero was a trained military officer and became Burundi’s first president after independence. His government was implicated in the 1972 mass killings of Hutus, an event many scholars regard as genocide, further cementing his controversial legacy.

1. Valentine Strasser (Sierra Leone, 25 years old)

At only 25 years old, Valentine Esegragbo Melvin Strasser became Africa’s youngest head of state when he took control of Sierra Leone on April 29, 1992, following a military coup that removed President Joseph Saidu Momoh. A junior officer at the time, Strasser led the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC), vowing to tackle the country’s civil war and root out widespread corruption. Despite early public support, his leadership quickly came under scrutiny as challenges mounted and reforms lagged. Just four years into his rule, Strasser was overthrown by his deputy, Julius Maada Bio, in 1996.