What Becomes of Ex-African Leaders?

Despots on the run, arrested and jailed for plunder, exile and/or death? Perhaps the list may be endless. The question still remains interesting to many an observer of this continent. It cannot and should not escape our attention as to what becomes of these men and women who serve in the highest offices of our lands. After the developments in Tunisia which saw the immediate former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali take to the skies in sojourn for refuge, it interests to do some comparative analysis.

Wanted, Warrant of Arrests
Immediately after taking off, the interim government of Tunisia issued a warrant of arrest against Ben Ali and his family for what it calls "illegal acquisition" of assets and "illicit transfers" of funds abroad.Interpol issued a global alert known as 'interpol diffusion' to member countries to locate and provisionally arrest Mr Ben Ali and six others.

Bedfellows
Ben Ali is not the only one. Other classical examples include the former Ugandan dictator Gen Iddi Amin who later died in Saudi Arabia, CAR's former dictator Jean-Bedel Bokassa and the list goes on and on. However, the most interesting could be the despots currently in power whose exit from power may not be any different from Ben Ali's. In an article, 'Worst of the Worst' Foreign Policy magazine released the list of the world's most awful tyrants and without doubt (politics of magazine's origin aside), out of twenty three autocrats, thirteen are from African nations.
Write books, Build a Library and Leave a LegacyWhile comparison with their peers for example in the US may not be scientific, it is though refreshing to do so. Most, if not all former American presidents resign to writing memoirs, setting up charities and world class libraries for use by generations after.In the fullness of time, some of these libraries and foundations are handed over to The National Archives for example The Nixon Presidential Library. Though former president George W. Bush may have left office when ratings were all time low,The George W. Bush Presidential Library is currently on course coupled with a memoir.
Indications
The current wave sweeping through the Mahgreb region is indicative of a despotic nature of governance which has become characteristic of the African continent for eons. Perhaps this justifies why some of these leaders cannot engage in worthy causes other than fight of litigations, take flight to nowhere in search for refuge or live in solitude for fear of recrimination.

Ironically, most of these leaders enjoy world class treatment while in power, operating on run-away budgets at the expense of desolate and impoverished citizenry. Towards the end, it dawns on them that they may have to spend the rest of their lives very troubled. It's no wonder some of them succumb to death whilst in power for reasons sometimes seen as combined spell.