Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr vs Denis Sassou-Nguesso

Al-Bakr, a senior Ba'athist officer, helped plan and execute the coup that overthrew Qasim. He became Prime Minister briefly but was forced out by President Arif later that year, marking an early setback for the Ba'ath Party.

Al-Bakr led a bloodless coup that brought the Ba'ath Party back to power. He became President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, establishing a regime that would rule Iraq for decades. Saddam Hussein was his deputy.

Al-Bakr's government fully nationalized the Iraq Petroleum Company, ending foreign control of the country's oil industry. This move dramatically increased state revenue and funded development projects, but also led to Western sanctions.

Al-Bakr was forced to resign as President, ostensibly for health reasons, and was succeeded by Saddam Hussein. He was placed under house arrest until his death in 1982. The transition consolidated Saddam's absolute power.

Denis Sassou-Nguesso, a military officer, became President of the People's Republic of the Congo after a coup that ousted President Joachim Yhombi-Opango. He led the Congolese Party of Labour (PCT).

Under pressure, Sassou-Nguesso's government introduced multi-party politics, ending the one-party Marxist-Leninist system. A national conference was held in 1991, leading to a transition to civilian rule.

Sassou-Nguesso lost the 1992 presidential election to Pascal Lissouba. This was the first multi-party election in the country since independence, and Sassou-Nguesso peacefully handed over power.

Sassou-Nguesso's militia, backed by Angolan troops, captured Brazzaville, overthrowing President Pascal Lissouba. This ended a four-month civil war and returned Sassou-Nguesso to the presidency.

Sassou-Nguesso won the 2002 presidential election with over 89% of the vote. The election was boycotted by major opposition candidates and criticized as neither free nor fair.

Sassou-Nguesso's government held a constitutional referendum that removed the age limit and two-term limit for the presidency. The change allowed him to run for re-election in 2016 and potentially remain in power.