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On Sunday, March 17, 2024, President Vladimir Putin of Russia was re-elected for another six-year term. His victory paved the way for him to become one of the longest-serving leaders in the world.
By the end of his new term, Putin, who came to power in 1999 as a Prime Minister, would have ruled Russia for decades, joining the league of political leaders with unending tenures.
In light of Putin's re-election, we compile the list of 10 longest-serving presidents in the world.
1. Teodoro Obiang Nguema
The President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, has been serving as the political leader of the country since August 3, 1979.
By August 2024, the 81-year-old politician and former military officer would have ruled the country for 45 uninterrupted years.
His sit-tight disposition to power has got Equatorial Guinea nicknamed the "North Korea of Africa."
2. Paul Biya
Cameroonian President, Paul Biya, is currently the world's oldest elected leader. The 91-year-old has ruled the Central African country for 41 years.
He is the second-longest-ruling president in Africa.
3. Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Museveni has been ruling Uganda for 37 years.
The 79-year-old politician and former military officer came to power in 1986. He was re-elected to a contested sixth term in the 2021 elections.
4. Emomali Rahmon
Emomali Rahmon, the President of Tajikistan has been serving as the 3rd President of the country since 1994.
The 71-year-old former Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of Tajikistan came to power shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
5. Isaias Afwerki
Since Eritrea gained independence in 1993, it has not known any president other than Isaias Afwerki.
After leading the country's independence struggle in 1993, Afwerki became Eritrea's sole power controlling the military and judiciary.
The 78-year-old president ruled the Horn of Africa for 30 years.
6. Ismail Omar Guelleh
The current President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, has been in power since 1999.
Guelleh, 76, came to power as a handpicked successor by his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who equally ruled Djibouti from 1977 to 1999.
Winning his re-election for the fourth time in 2021 cemented his political perpetuity in the league of longest-serving leaders in Africa.
7. Alexander Lukashenko
Belarus President, Alexander Lukashenko has been in office for 29 years. The 69-year-old Putin ally is the longest-serving President in Europe.
Lukashenko came to power in 1994 after defeating the country's prime minister, Vyacheslav Kebich, in a run-off.
8. Vladimir Putin
On Sunday, March 17, 2024, Russian President, Vladimir Putin secured a re-election that paved the way for him to become the longest-serving President of Eastern Europe country.
Putin, 71, has already served as Russia's political leader for 24 years. By the end of his new six-term tenure, he would have served the country for three decades.
9. Paul Kagame
Rwandan President, Paul Kagame has been ruling the Central African Republic since April 2000.
The 66-year-old politician was a former military leader who became the country's political leader after putting an end to the genocide of Tutsis during the Rwandan civil war in 1994.
10. Denis Sassou Nguesso
President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo also known as Congo-Brazzaville, has cumulatively ruled for 39 years.
Nguesso, 80, was president from 1979 to 1992. After a civil war, he returned to power in 1997 and has been ruling ever since.