In 2011 the Arab Spring claimed three of Africa’s Big Men, but their countries weren’t the only ones affected. There were the governments that endured the turbulent times of protests and strikes yet somehow managed to hold on, be it through violent suppression of protestors, suspension of various forms of communication, proposing reforms or simply ignoring protest and hoping that it goes away.

• King Mohammed VI, Morocco
• Bingu wa Mutharika, Malawi
• Ian Khama, Botswana
• King Mswati III, Swaziland
• King Letsie, Lesotho
• Ali Bongo, Gabon
• Yoweri Museveni, Uganda
• Mwai Kibaki, Kenya
• Ikililou Dhoinine, Comoros
• Ismail Omar Guelleh, Djibouti
• Mohamed Abdelaziz, Mauritania
• Omar al-Bashir, Sudan
• Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia
• Jacob Zuma, South Africa

Election fever

So it was that 2011 was the year of presidential elections in Africa. There were a total of 18 scheduled elections at the start of the year, by the end there were a total of 19. In Tunisia elections took place to replace ousted leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and elections that were meant to take place in Zimbabwe and Madagascar have been moved to 2012.

The new leaders:

• Alassane Ouattara, Cote d’Ivoire
• Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, Egypt
• Mustafa Abdul Jalil, Libya
• Mahamadou Issoufou, Niger
• Manuel Pinto da Costa, Sao Tome and Principe
• Salva Kiir, South Sudan
• Moncef Marzouki, Tunisia
• Michael Sata, Zambia
• Honourable mention – Pedro Pires
  Former Cape Verde president Pedro Pires received 2011’s Mo Ibrahim prize for Achievement in African leadership. He was the leader of the island nation from 2001 to 2011, and was singled at as one of the key African success stories for “good governance,” including multiparty democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights.