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Azikiwe, Benjamin Nnamdi

(Encyclopedia)Azikiwe, Benjamin Nnamdi nämˈdē äzēkˈwā [key], 1904–96, Nigerian statesman, popularly known as Zik. After advanced studies in the United States (1925), he returned to Nigeria, founded a chain...

Gürsel, Cemal

(Encyclopedia)Gürsel, Cemal jĕmälˈ gürsĕlˈ [key], 1895–1966, Turkish army officer and political leader. He fought in World War I and in most of the military campaigns during the war of independence (1920�...

Hafez, Amin al-

(Encyclopedia)Hafez or Hafiz, Amin al- ämēnˈ äl-häˈfəz [key], 1921?–2009, Syrian army officer and politician. He served (1963–65) as chief of state in Syria's Ba'athist government (see Ba'ath party) but ...

Buyoya, Pierre

(Encyclopedia)Buyoya, Pierre, 1949–2020, Burundian political leader. An ethnic Tutsi, he had a successful military career before he overthrew President Jean-Baptiste Bagaza and became president of a Tutsi-led mil...

Pérez Jiménez, Marcos

(Encyclopedia)Pérez Jiménez, Marcos märˈkōs pāˈrās hēmāˈnās [key], 1914–2001, president of Venezuela (1952–58). As an army captain he took part in the coup that installed (1945) the Democratic Actio...

Yhombi-Opango, Jacques Joachim

(Encyclopedia)Yhombi-Opango, Jacques Joachim, 1939–2020, Congolese politician. An army colonel, he became president of the People's Republic of the Congo in 1977 after the assassination of President Ngouabi. Forc...

Biya, Paul

(Encyclopedia)Biya, Paul bēyĕ [key], 1933–, Cameroonian political leader. Educated in Cameroon and France, where he studied at the Sorbonne and other institutions, he joined Cameroon's civil service in 1962. Af...

Bordaberry Arocena, Juan María

(Encyclopedia)Bordaberry Arocena, Juan María, 1928–2011, Uruguayan politician. Born into a wealthy and politically conservative family, he was elected (1962) senator as a member of the National party. Switching ...

Arzú, Álvaro

(Encyclopedia)Arzú, Álvaro (Álvaro Enrique Arzú Irigoyen), 1946–2018, Guatemalan lawyer and political leader. He was director of the Guatemalan tourism office (1978–81) before he was first elected mayor of ...

Muhammad, Murtala Ramat

(Encyclopedia)Muhammad, Murtala Ramat, 1938–1976, Nigerian military officer and politician. A Muslim Hausa from the north, he joined the Nigerian army and was involved in the coup that brought Yakubu Gowon to pow...