Farida Nabourema at the Oslo Freedom Forum in New York, September 2018 (Jay Nordlinger)

In the next issue of National Review, I’ll have a piece about Togo — the little West African country that has been ruled by two dictators, father and son, for the past 51 years. They are tied by another father-and-son act in Africa: the Bongos of Gabon. They too have ruled for 51 years.


The Duvaliers, in Haiti, ruled for 29 years (1957 to 1986). The Assads have been on the throne since 1970 (48 years). The kid has killed a great many to keep the family business going. The family business in North Korea has been going for a full 70 years, since 1948, with a grandson now on the throne.

In my piece about Togo, I’ll feature a young campaigner against the dictatorship, Farida Nabourema, a woman both steely and sparkly. If you would like to get a preview — or simply hear Farida live and unfiltered — go to the podcast we have done, here.

P.S. If you want to read about the Kims, the Assads, and the Duvaliers — and the Qaddafis and other lovely folk — try Children of Monsters.