Mugabe, Qaddafi, and Gbagbo: Strongmen Circling Their Wagons

It appears Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe has been supporting Cote d’Ivoire’s Laurent Gbagbo and Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi’s bids to hold on to power. Mugabe, who has a long and close relationship with Qaddafi, has reportedly provided fighters to assist the Libyan dictator. In Cote d’Ivoire, the United Nations is currently investigating a possible arms shipment from Zimbabwe to Gbagbo, violating the arms embargo on the country since 2004.

Although I haven’t yet seen a smoking gun in either case, I find both allegations credible and not surprising. Mugabe’s support for Gbagbo and Qaddafi can be seen as strongmen circling their wagons.

So where are all these places? Learn more about Africa on the map below. Zoom out for a better perspective.

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