Politics Of Democracy and Democratisation in Africa: Unearthing the Challenges, Opportunities and Lessons from the Middle East

Abstract

The paper aims explores the notion of democracy and democratisation in Africa with special reference to the

practices, challenges s well as the prospects of democracy in Africa. All countries either already have or are

seeking to adopt democracy, despite the fact that its implementation is challenging and complex. Sub-Saharan

African countries started adopting democracy thirty years ago, yet the region is still distinguished by a high

level of political regime diversity. Some of the least democratic regimes in the world border fragile

democracies, which typically face a number of challenges and deficiencies. Elections with many parties, which

were almost unheard of in 1990, are now the norm, albeit they still infrequently bring about changes in power.

The current trends in democratic recession have not spared Sub-Saharan Africa, however the effects have varied

by nation. A few surprising democratic transitions happened at the same time as a widespread democratic

decline. Two factors—one that is basic to political and institutional contexts and the other that is external to

those contexts—make sub-Saharan African democracy unstable. Among the first are low socio-economic

development, conflict, and instability; among the second are weak institutions, a lack of judicial independence,

election law manipulation, significant restrictions on civil and political rights, and war. On the basis of the

experiences of a few African countries, brief case studies that emphasize the significance of the conceptual

framework and the idea of self-enforcing constitutional principles are provided and this is done in consonance

with experiences from the Middle East.