POLITICS
Support for democracy in Africa
July 18, 2024 - Support for democracy in Africa is being undermined by military coups, corruption, and a lack of presidential accountability, according to a new survey in 39 countries, representing 75% of the continent’s population
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The surveys found Africans are less satisfied with the way democracy works in their countries since the survey was first carried out from 2011/13, attributed by Afrobarometer to declining election quality, increased levels of corruption and failure by the leadership to promote the rule of law and other changes in political conditions.
However, two-thirds of Africans say they prefer democracy to any other system of government, and still have a stronger preference for democratic governance than many parts of the world, according to a report by Afrobarometer.
Large majorities also rejected one-man rule, one-party rule, and military rule, and support for presidential term limits remains strong despite the leaders of at least nine countries violating them. Africa has also experienced eight military coups since 2020, after a relative decline since the 1990’s, most recently in Gabon, including two each in Burkina Faso and Mali.