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Profile of Robert Mugabe, longtime ruler of Zimbabwe 

He came to power in 1980 after a seven-year bush war for black rule, serving first as prime minister and then as president. At independence, he was hailed for his policies of racial reconciliation and development that brought education and health to millions. Zimbabwe's economy thrived, and Mugabe appealed to whites to stay in the country.

Twenty years later, many wished they hadn't.

Mugabe ordered the often-violent seizure of white-owned farms on behalf of a landless black majority. But instead, he gave the farms to black relatives, friends and cronies. . . .

Mugabe is now 84 years old. During his rule, the average life expectancy of Zimbabweans has fallen from 60 to 35 years.

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