Public Figures & Cultural Luminaries

Statesmanship & Statesmen

23

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Roh Tae-woo

노태우

South Korea

1932 – 2021 (88 years old)

6th President of South Korea (1988–1993) who issued the historic June 29 Declaration yielding to democratic direct elections, hosted the triumphant 1988 Seoul Olympics, and orchestrated "Nordpolitik" establishing diplomatic ties with Moscow and Beijing.

Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

35

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Colin Luther Powell

Colin Powell

United States

1937 – 2021 (84 years old)

Trailblazing American four-star general and statesman who became the first African American National Security Advisor, first Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War, and first Black US Secretary of State.

Arlington, United States

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

24

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Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai

احمد شاه احمدزی

Afghanistan

1944 – 2021 (77 years old)

Acting Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1995–1996) and prominent anti-Soviet Mujahideen leader who served in the Islamic State of Afghanistan cabinet under Burhanuddin Rabbani prior to the Taliban capture of Kabul.

Kabul, Afghanistan

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

23

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Abolhassan Banisadr

ابوالحسن بنی‌صدر

Iran

1933 – 2021 (88 years old)

First President of the Islamic Republic of Iran (1980–1981) following the 1979 Revolution, an economist who advocated for an independent, democratic Islamic republic before clashing with hardline clerics and Ayatollah Khomeini, fleeing into four decades of French exile.

Versailles, France

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

24

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Bernard Tapie

Bernard Tapie

France

1943 – 2021 (78 years old)

Flamboyant and polarizing French entrepreneur, politician, actor, and sports executive who turned around major corporations including Adidas, served as Minister of City Affairs under François Mitterrand, and led Olympique de Marseille to the 1993 Champions League title.

Marseille, France

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

24

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Abdelaziz Bouteflika

عبد العزيز بوتفليقة

Morocco

1937 – 2021 (84 years old)

Longest-serving President of Algeria (1999–2019) and veteran diplomat who presided over the end of the devastating Algerian Civil War through national reconciliation policies before stepping down amid mass Hirak protests.

Algiers, Algeria

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

24

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Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio

Jorge Sampaio

Portugal

1939 – 2021 (81 years old)

18th President of Portugal (1996–2006) and Mayor of Lisbon who unified Portuguese democracy, championed East Timor's independence from Indonesian occupation, and later served as the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations.

Lisbon, Portugal

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

26

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Hissène Habré

حسين حبري

Chad

1942 – 2021 (79 years old)

President of Chad (1982–1990) backed by France and the US who defeated Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan forces in the Toyota War, but presided over brutal mass political atrocities that made him the first former head of state convicted of crimes against humanity by an African court.

Dakar, Senegal

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

24

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Jovenel Moïse

Jovenel Moïse

Haiti

1968 – 2021 (53 years old)

43rd President of Haiti (2017–2021), a former banana entrepreneur known as "Nèg Bannann nan" who governed through deepening constitutional crises and escalating gang warfare before being brutally assassinated in his private residence.

Cap-Haïtien, Haiti

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

35

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Kenneth Kaunda

Kenneth David Kaunda

Northern Rhodesia

1924 – 2021 (97 years old)

Founding Father and first President of Zambia who led the nation to independence in 1964 and provided vital sanctuary to southern African liberation movements against apartheid.

Lusaka, Zambia

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

24

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Enrique José Bolaños Geyer

Enrique Bolaños

Nicaragua

1928 – 2021 (93 years old)

President of Nicaragua (2002–2007) who courageously prosecuted his own predecessor and political patron Arnoldo Alemán for embezzlement, championed transparency, modern economic growth, and established a free public presidential digital archive.

Nindirí, Masaya, Nicaragua

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

22

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Francis Lee Bailey Jr.

F. Lee Bailey

United States

1933 – 2021 (87 years old)

Famed American criminal defense attorney who represented notorious high-profile clients including Sam Sheppard (establishing landmark fair-trial jurisprudence), the Boston Strangler, Patty Hearst, and O.J. Simpson as part of the "Dream Team".

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

25

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Poul Holmskov Schlüter

Poul Schlüter

Denmark

1929 – 2021 (92 years old)

Prime Minister of Denmark (1982–1993) and first Conservative to hold the office in 81 years, whose decade-long premiership stabilized Denmark's economy, pegged the krone, and signed the Single European Act and Maastricht Treaty.

Copenhagen, Denmark

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

26

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Idriss Déby Itno

Idriss Déby Itno

Chad

1952 – 2021 (68 years old)

President of Chad for over thirty years (1990–2021) and seasoned military commander who turned the Chadian military into one of West Africa's most effective counterterrorism forces against Boko Haram, dying in combat on the frontlines against rebels.

Amdjarass, Chad

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

25

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Walter Frederick Mondale

Walter Mondale

United States

1928 – 2021 (93 years old)

42nd Vice President of the United States under Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) who revolutionized the modern vice presidency into an active governing partnership, and made history by selecting Geraldine Ferraro as the first woman on a major US party ticket in 1984.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

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John Pombe Joseph Magufuli

John Magufuli

Tanzania

1959 – 2021 (61 years old)

5th President of Tanzania (2015–2021) nicknamed "The Bulldozer" (Tingatinga) who spearheaded aggressive anti-corruption drives, slashed government waste, and constructed monumental infrastructure projects, while drawing controversy for his COVID-19 skepticism.

Chato, Geita, Tanzania

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

22

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Hamed Bakayoko

Hamed Bakayoko

Ivory Coast

1965 – 2021 (56 years old)

Prime Minister of Ivory Coast (2020–2021) and Minister of Defense, a charismatic former radio executive known as "Hambak" who played a crucial role in post-civil war security, national reconciliation, and youth empowerment.

Séguéla, Ivory Coast

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Statesmanship & Statesmen

24

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Ali Mahdi Muhammad

Cali Mahdi Maxamed

Somalia

1939 – 2021 (82 years old)

4th President of Somalia (1991–1997) who assumed power following the overthrow of military dictator Siad Barre, navigating devastating civil warfare against rival faction leader General Mohamed Farrah Aidid in Mogadishu.

Mogadishu, Somalia

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