7 African leaders allegedly assassinated by western powers

Throughout Africa’s post-independence history, a troubling pattern has emerged: visionary leaders who stood against colonialism, foreign exploitation, and neocolonial control often met untimely and suspicious deaths.

Many of these assassinations were not random acts of violence but were allegedly linked to covert operations, foreign interests, and systemic efforts to destabilise African progress for geopolitical gain. Below are some of the most prominent African leaders whose deaths have been tied directly or indirectly to Western powers.

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Patrice Lumumba was the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He died in 1961. He was a staunch anti-colonial voice who sought to sever Belgian control over Congo's rich resources. Shortly after independence, political chaos and Western-backed factions led to his arrest and brutal execution. Declassified CIA and Belgian documents have confirmed both nations' involvement in supporting his removal and enabling his assassination. His refusal to align with Western interests and his efforts to nationalise Congo’s minerals made him a threat to former colonial powers.

Thomas Sankara was the president of Burkina Faso who died in 1987. He was often called “Africa’s Che Guevara.” Sankara pushed radical reforms like land redistribution, anti-corruption, women’s rights, and cutting off IMF dependency. He was assassinated in a coup led by his friend and deputy, Blaise Compaoré, widely believed to have had backing or blessing from foreign interests threatened by Sankara’s pan-Africanism and rejection of Western influence. Sankara’s ideology challenged the capitalist model imposed by the West and threatened foreign profits in Africa.

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Gaddafi was a Libyan Leader who died in 2011. He ruled Libya for over four decades and was eventually overthrown during the NATO-backed uprising in 2011. Though his rule was authoritarian, Gaddafi also pushed for African unity, a gold-backed African currency, and reducing reliance on Western economic systems. His anti-Western rhetoric and plans for a pan-African currency were seen as dangerous to Western economic control.

Olympio was the first President of Togo, who died in 1963. He was assassinated during a military coup led by Etienne Eyadema. Documents and reports suggest he was targeted for trying to reduce French military and economic influence in the newly independent state. He rejected French military aid and pushed for economic self-reliance, moves perceived as hostile by France.

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Cabral was a revolutionary leader who died in 1973. He was a key figure in the anti-colonial struggle against Portuguese rule. Cabral was assassinated before Guinea-Bissau gained independence. While killed by internal rivals, evidence points to influence from Portuguese intelligence agencies. His effective grassroots organising and pan-African solidarity threatened colonial regimes and Western-backed powers.

Murtala Mohammed was a Nigerian Head of State who died in 1976. Mohammed led a short-lived but reform-driven government after a bloodless coup. His assassination was carried out by junior officers in a failed coup attempt. Though not fully proven, his bold foreign policies, especially anti-apartheid actions, drew suspicion and opposition from global powers. His leadership style and foreign policy aligned with non-alignment and pan-African solidarity, distancing Nigeria from Western dominance.

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Kabila was the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo who died in 2001. Kabila was assassinated by one of his bodyguards under mysterious circumstances. His rule saw attempts to reclaim Congo’s resources from multinational corporations, which drew both internal and external backlash. Like Lumumba, he sought control of Congo’s mineral wealth, challenging entrenched foreign economic interests.

These leaders, despite their diverse political ideologies and contexts, shared one thing, and that was their refusal to be controlled by foreign powers. While each case is unique, the pattern of external meddling, declassified intelligence documents, and economic motives suggests that these deaths were not mere coincidences.

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