Can the West really influence African democracies?

DW (English)

There was much talk in the West about democratic backsliding in Africa as international aid and interest dried up at the start of 2025. But could it be that the influence of the West on how democracy plays out in Africa is overrated?

Transcript

00:00There were fears about democratic backsliding in African countries as aid and interest from

00:06democratic Western nations dried up in early 2025. But have we maybe given support from

00:13Western nations too much credit for how democracy has progressed across Africa?

00:18So we need to look at our specific situation and think from there uniquely what it is that we need.

00:23Welcome to The Flipside. Many observers regard the upcoming elections in Tanzania and Uganda as

00:31formalities rather than fair contests. Tanzania's opposition party Chadema has been banned from

00:37competing and Uganda's increasingly authoritarian President Yaweri Museveni is seeking to extend his

00:44four-decade rule. One of the trends that we've picked up in East Africa is suppression of political

00:53opposition and the targeting of political parties and leaders of those parties who are trying to

01:04sort of upset the status quo. Kenya too has experienced a crackdown on youth protests

01:10and politically motivated abductions. But as democracies mature, shouldn't elections become

01:16less controversial? It takes a lot of time to get into a rhythm of peaceful turnover and people accepting

01:26that a certain amount of friction and debate and opposition is natural and good and healthy.

01:33And we also have to look at the perks of being in power. Perks like impunity, access to wealth and of

01:41course status. But in 2024, something happened for the second time in the world's most famous democracy,

01:48the United States. In the past few years, that authoritarian practice has been emboldened

01:55and fast-tracked by the election of President Trump. And not just in the US. The rise of anti-rights

02:03movements across the world. And from Europe to Africa, we are seeing a strengthening of narratives that

02:10emboldened anti-migrant sentiment, anti-democratic sentiment. Still, studies show that democracy is

02:18the most popular form of governance. But there have been abuses and unhappiness at how democracy has

02:25served the people in reality. So, how do we get people to believe in democracy again?

02:31Educate the civil society on their political rights. Educate them on the intent of certain

02:38parties so that, for one, when they vote, they're voting knowledgeably. And two, should things go

02:44wrong, like perhaps the wrong president is in power or someone who makes a promise does not live up to

02:50those promises, we know how to now follow up and litigate. Our response as civil society needs to be

02:57equally emboldened. Emboldened enough to call for free and fair elections, emboldened enough to

03:06ensure that there's no violence during these voting periods, but also emboldened enough to call for

03:13a rethinking of the structures that are used to hold power to account when it comes to elections.

03:19Observation of elections shouldn't just come from, you know, European or Northern countries, but within Africa.

03:25And for all this to happen, do African democracies really need the West as a guide?

03:31Absolutely not, no. I think the notion that democracy is, or that the West is the holder of

03:40democracy is something that we really need to challenge.

03:43I think that's a flat-out no, we should not, because, you know, our world is quite different from the West,

03:49not so much radically so that we can't learn anything from them, but that we should start from our own home.

03:56Voting habits have changed in African democracies, most notably in South Africa and Botswana, where

04:02the ruling parties saw their voting shares nosedive, and Ghana, which has seen multiple peaceful transitions of power.

04:10Previously, we did a lot of tribal politics, but I think in the span of eight years,

04:17Ghanaians became so wise, they looked actually at the economy, they looked at policies that

04:24the governments promised to put in place that was not done, and they, I mean, we actually voted massively for change.

04:33But more than that, it seems the self-owned, self-made democracy is the most powerful form.

04:39And there are lots of really motivated and mobilized groups and civil society organizations

04:47and leaders who already want those changes and are working for them in very unsafe environments.

04:53And those people and organizations need support, and if that support can come from within the region,

05:00all the better, because then it will have greater legitimacy and provide more of a chance,

05:06not just for local ownership, but then for that to be sustained into the future.

05:11And that's the flip side.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended