Top World Leaders Assassinated During Military Coups

August7,2024

Assassinated after a military coup, Lumumba's death marked a turning point in Congo's history as he was a symbol of anti-colonialism and national independence.

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Patrice Lumumba (Congo, 1961)

The democratically elected president was overthrown and killed during a military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet, leading to years of dictatorship.

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Salvador Allende (Chile, 1973)

Diệm, the president of South Vietnam, was assassinated during a coup that was tacitly supported by the United States, reshaping the region's political landscape.

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Ngô Đình Diệm (South Vietnam, 1963)

Known as Africa’s Che Guevara, Sankara was killed in a coup led by his former comrade Blaise Compaoré, ending his revolutionary government.

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Thomas Sankara (Burkina Faso, 1987)

Although Nkrumah was deposed in a coup while abroad, he was later assassinated. Nkrumah was a prominent leader in Africa’s push for independence.

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Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana, 1966)

Deposed and assassinated following a coup and subsequent civil war, Somoza's death ended his family's long-standing dictatorial rule.

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Anastasio Somoza Debayle (Nicaragua, 1980)

After a decade of brutal rule, Doe was captured and killed during a violent coup, leading to further instability in Liberia.

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Samuel Doe (Liberia, 1990)

Kabila was assassinated during a military coup, plunging the Democratic Republic of the Congo into further chaos and conflict.

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Laurent-Désiré Kabila (Congo, 2001)

While not a traditional military coup, Hariri’s assassination was politically motivated and led to significant upheaval in Lebanon.

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Rafic Hariri (Lebanon, 2005)

Mujibur Rahman, along with several members of his family, was assassinated in a coup in his unguarded personal residence in Dhaka. 

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Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Bangladesh, 1975)