10. Sassou Nguesso, Democratic Republic of Congo
Total death toll: 60,000
Sassou Nguesso definitely walks the line when it comes to deciding whether or not he belongs with the 10 most evil elected presidents who killed the most people. Evil? Check. President? Check. Killed a bunch of people? Check. Elected? That’s a tough call. He’s predecessor was deposed in 1979 in a technical coup, which is not the same as the military, so I’ll allow it.
Even though Sassou ruled Congo as a single-party Marxist state, counting with Soviet and Cuban aid, no martial law was ever in order. However, with the USSR’s fall in 1991, free elections were held in 1992, and Sassou did not do very well and fled. Sadly, evil men have a way of coming back, and since the then president was facing accusations of electoral fraud that resulted in revolts and, ultimately, the first Congo Civil War, Nguesso was able to regain power in 1997. His return to the country was the trigger for the 2nd Civil War, by which time, he had his own private army, the Cobra’s (got to give it to him: that is one cool name). Naturally, he won the election, because as you will understand if you keep reading, fear is a powerful master.
