Africa's Democratization-Security Nexus – Joseph Siegle
Channel: Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Date: 2023-06-20

Presentation from Session 9 of our Emerging Security Sector Leaders Seminar

The state of democracy in Africa is arguably one of the most controversial and difficult questions facing the continent today. Afrobarometer’s public opinion surveys done in 34 countries on the continent show that, on the whole, democracy is in demand by most African citizens, even if it is also undersupplied by African leaders and political elites. Democracy is important for providing citizen security and safety. One of the main reasons is that democratic systems are based on a balance of powers between different branches of government, such that open political competition and the exercise of civil liberties are possible. Strong legislatures and independent judiciaries can make executive branch actions more legitimate, transparent, and accountable to citizens, including in the domains of defense and security. Citizens are also key holders of rights in the exercise of representative, democratic governance, and are entitled to use these rights in a range of peaceful and legal ways to resolve disputes and express preferences.

While many countries are making obvious progress to improve representative governance and enhance state-society relations, others appear to be regressing. The global rise in nationalism and authoritarianism reinforces certain negative trends. Whether democracy can be designed to better fit African realities is a key question that academics and practitioners continue to grapple with. As much as there have been significant advances in democratization, there have equally been ‘democratic rollbacks’ and the entrenchment of autocracy, albeit under the guise of electoralism in multi-party contexts. While it is important to acknowledge achievements of the continent’s success stories, of which there have been many over the last several decades, it is also crucial to recognize the setbacks that are now taking place, including through the recent spate of military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Chad, and Sudan.

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