When it comes to African Strongmen, Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe is in a league of his own. The “archetypal African Dictator,” as he was once described by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, has defied the odds, managing to cling to power for 32 years through a cruel combination of intimidation, violence, and repression. Once a hero of the 1970’s guerilla war, the 87-year-old Mugabe is now widely loathed by his people for his use of brutal militias and calamitous handling of the nation’s economy. The entrenched dictator plans to run for office yet again during elections later this year, a move that has caused much public outcry and threatens to embroil the beleaguered nation in further conflict.