Little-known hobbies of five of the most brutal dictators in African history

As clinical psychologist James Fallon argues, dictators are usually bent on identifying themselves with “the people”. They believe they are embodiments of the hopes and values of some significant majority they preside over.

Paradoxically, these dictators are also very paranoid about having to reveal their humanity. To show they are just like everyone else they claim to represent betrays a vulnerability that is not on-brand with a dictator’s image.

Yet, they are human, and just like every other one of us, dictators have fears, weaknesses as well as hopes and strengths.

RELATED STORIES

Tsietsi Mashinini; South Africa's most wanted who led 20,000 students in the 1976 Soweto uprising that killed 174 blacks

Did you know the second oldest canoe known to man is the 8,000-year-old Dufuna canoe found in Nigeria?

5 Africans who were trained by the French army and went on to lead coups against leaders in their countries

While Sankara and Lumumba were killed before their 38th birthdays, here’s why dictators Idi Amin, Mobutu and Bokassa died old men

What dictators also have are things they like to do as hobbies. And as these five African dictators show, sometimes these “strong men” find joy in simple pleasures.