Why do so many African leaders die in office?

26 August 2012 Last updated at 19:55 ET


By Ruth Alexander BBC News
The funeral of Ghana's John Atta Mills drew thousands

It's rare for the leader of a country to die in office. Since 2008, it's happened 13 times worldwide - but 10 of those leaders have been African. Why is it so much more common in this one continent?
Large crowds carrying candles ran alongside the hearse carrying the body of Meles Zenawi, as it made its way through Addis Ababa, on Tuesday. He had died, aged 57, after a long illness.
Earlier in the month, tens of thousands of Ghanaians attended the

Chizony