Human rights activist Opiyo says that with reports like these, it is becoming clear thatthe earlier view of social media as "a liberating force for democracy" is disappearing: "(N)ow we see the dangers associated with it, and how social media can be used to undermine democratic processes. The enforcement of pandemic restrictions by security services has often been brutal, provoking demonstrations in Kenya and even in more advanced democracies such as South Africa. by James McBride, Anshu Siripurapu and Noah Berman Powers farther afield havent done much better. Economic prosperity, also concentrated on the coasts [PDF], likely has also influenced a positive democratic trajectory. when approximately half of the Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Sudan and Mali have all seen the government overthrown and replaced with a military junta. Again, the reasons were mainly political, withprotests, electionsand political unrest resulting ininformation shutdowns across the continent, with no end in sight: "It will take a while for those in power to understand that young people today expect them to sit down and talk to them,"political consultant Angelo Izama said. and. Not necessarily. But when the countrys Supreme Court upheld incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addos victory, Mahama accepted the results, conceding that he was legally bound by the decisions of the Supreme Court. Large-scale violence was absent from the electoral process; five people, however, were killed in postelection violence. Countries are responding to the World Health Organization (WHO) call to action by putting into place best-practice TFA policies. Chart: Malaria: Progress and Challenges | Statista Egypt has close ties to Sudans military, which it sees as an ally against Ethiopia. Both sides have tens of thousands of fighters, foreign backers, mineral riches and other resources that could insulate them from sanctions. The United Nations [PDF] and advanced democracies including France, Japan, and the United Kingdom have similarly linked foreign aid to good-governance reforms. by CFR.org Editors "It will also take time for those in power to stop using surveillance and monitoring as a means to counter criticism. Sudan borders five additional countries: Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, Eritrea and South Sudan, which seceded in 2011 and took 75% of Khartoums oil resources with it. In 2021, five sitting African heads of state had been in power for more than three decades each: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in Equatorial Guinea, Paul Biya Democracy is defined differentlyby the United Nations [PDF], academics [PDF], and politiciansand comes in various forms. April 13, 2023 According to a report published by the South African Institute of International Affairs, shutting down the internet andarresting government critics voicing their views on social media channels are signs that several governmentsin sub-Saharan Africa are becomingincreasingly autocratic. Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Sudan and Mali have all seen the government overthrown and replaced with a military junta. November 8, 2022 Ghana is the most notable, positive exception in West Africa. Totalitarian Countries 2023 - worldpopulationreview.com Russia launches pre-dawn missile attack on Ukraine, Chaos at port as thousands rush to leave Sudan. We should actually address the political system thats not working.. The challenge facing American and other policy makers is to support African governments in taking meaningful steps toward democracy while at the same time acknowledging the legitimate grievances that underpin so much of the insecurity. Paramilitary power brokers. by CFR.org Editors As in other parts of the world, it thus remains unclear whether the increasing prevalence and importance of the internet and social media, in their totality, will have a beneficial, deleterious, or ambiguous effect on democracy. A president who had ruled for three decades was killed on the battlefield, and his son was quickly installed in his place a violation of the Constitution. Meanwhile the U.S. said it will deploy additional capacities for possible evacuation and the U.N called for an immediate ceasefire. A political rival accused Obiang of cannibalism in 2004, but no evidence to support the claim has ever surfaced. The 25 Best Countries View All 29 Slides Sudans regional, economic and strategic importance Sudan is located at a critical nexus, geographically. Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development in Nigeria This is often done via questionable means, including intimidation, imprisonment (lawful or not), physical violence, or even assassination. Others, such as Botswana, enjoy high levels of economic and social development. Its isolation deepened over the conflict in the western Darfur region in the 2000s, when Sudanese forces and the Janjaweed were accused of carrying out atrocities while suppressing a local rebellion. The Modern Worlds Dictatorship Countries African Dictators A Global View of Dictators Is China a dictatorship? Shortly afterward, Twitter also followed suit, closing11% of thenearly 3,500 accounts worldwide that allegedly spread pro-government propaganda. Strong institutions of government are a common feature, acting as a bulwark against self-interested leaders, such as former South African President Jacob Zuma, who is now on trial for corruption. After authoritarian monarchies, these tend to be the longest-lasting dictatorships, as they can more easily install a new dictator if the existing one leaves office (rare) or dies. This becomes clear if we go beyond the headlines to ask why some of the recent coups have been publicly celebrated. Africa has several long-standing dictators despite the fact that the continent as a whole is quite volatile politically. Six Coups. Coups in Africa: Why they dont spell the end of democracy C.V. Starr & Co. From the outside looking in, life within a dictatorship appears akin to being in a toxic relationship or living situation. It has been endowed in perpetuity through a gift from CFR members Malcolm and Carolyn Wiener. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. In 2021, five sitting African heads of state had been in power for more than three decades each: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in Equatorial Guinea, Paul Biya The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. WebUsing evidence from the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and the countries involved in the Arab Spring, we argue that dictatorship in Africa serves a function akin to Myrdal's Nearly all are mired in their own internal conflicts, with various rebel groups operating along the porous borders. While a large number of countries have As in Mali, many in Burkina Faso said they had lost faith in democracy, including Assami Ouedraogo, 35, a police officer who resigned in November. Four trends stand out: In its 2021 report, Freedom House rated only eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa as free. "The spread of fake news is a real problem," said Ugandan human rights activist Nicholas Opiyo in a DW interview. 2021) Min Aung Hlaing (born 3 July 1956) is a Burmese politician and army general who has ruled Myanmar as the chairman of the State Administration Council since seizing power in the February 2021 coup dtat. President Vladimir Putin is currently serving his fourth term as President of Russia. Hybrid dictatorships blend elements of the other four types. The Presidents Malaria Initiative and Other U.S. Government All the attention goes to organizing periodic elections, which in most cases are rigged, he said. Africa There, a popular uprising had succeeded in overthrowing a military dictator in 2019, but there has been sustained public outrage since last October when the military took back full control of the government, and detained the civilian prime minister who had served in what was supposed to be a power-sharing government. To compare levels of democracy across different countries, Freedom House, a well-regarded nongovernmental organization, publishes an index that measures by standard criteria the degree of freedom enjoyed by people in countries and some territories and assigns to each a numerical score. Tanzania offers a stark example. Presidents that have changed their countries constitutions to eliminate the two-term limit include Presidents Gnassingb (Togo), Museveni (Uganda), Dby (Chad), Social media is becoming another tool of oppression.". There are eight dictatorships in Asia, seven in the Eurasian region of the world, and twelve spanning from Africa s northern parts to the Middle East. EXPLAINER: What Is Happening in Sudan, and How Does it Arab Gulf countries have looked to the Horn of Africa in recent years as they have sought to project power across the region. It's time for the United States to get serious about stopping the flow. Unfortunately, democracy is still shaky in many countries, a number of which are fighting violent religious insurrections, and the likelihood of any fallen dictator being quickly replaced by another dictator is high. The largest recipients were Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Chad, South Sudan, and Niger. Addressing these issues will require grappling with long-standing grievances left untreated and often exacerbated by the poor, sometimes brutal governance that is all too common across the African continent. Secondly, while the term "dictatorship" is widely understood to include inherent abuse of powerthere is arguably no such thing as a benevolent dictatorhistory offers several examples of autocrats who tried to do what was best for their people. The dictator is the absolute ruler. Thus in total, almost 440 Ugandan social media accounts close to the Ugandan government have beenblocked by social media networks in the East African country to date. Similarly, former Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keta was accused of rigging the 2020 legislative elections. An autocracy, monarchy, and dictatorship. Is social media becoming a threat to democracy on the continent? 2021 The external mediators risk becoming a traffic jam with no policeman, De Waal said. Chart: Malaria: Progress and Challenges | Statista List Of Dictatorship Countries & Countries Ruled by Dictator One reason that democracy may remain the favoured political system for so many African societies - even in countries where it has yet to be realised - is the poor performance of authoritarian governments. Globalization not realm for dictators Why Sudan's conflict matters to the rest of the world | AP News In some cases, nations may have multiple ruling bodies or government types, meaning they're not Dictatorships suffer from an obvious and significant imbalance of power. With a population that is much younger than those of China, the US and the EU, there will be renewed interest in Indias potential to be a beacon of liberal values. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. Dictators in Africa using social media to cling to power India had been an exception to the rule that capitalism comes before democracy. A dictator may have a team of officials who advise him or her and help keep the government running, but these officials ultimately have very little control or influence. by Lindsay Maizland In some cases, this is because they enjoy the personal benefits of being in power and don't want to give them up. Countries & Regions: Freedom in the World 2021 | Freedom House Chad and South Sudan look most immediately at risk of potential spillover. As a result, on average African democracies achieve higher levels of economic growth while doing a better job of providing public services. Heavy gunfire was heard in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, as fighting raged between rival forces for the sixth day despite a truce agreement. countries Unless it is swiftly ended, the conflict will become a multi-level game with regional and some international actors pursuing their interests, using money, arms supplies and possibly their own troops or proxies, he wrote. But theres no one-size-fits-all explanation. The United States, the European Union and France endorsed the sanctions on Mali, but at the U.N. Security Council, Russia and China blocked a statement supporting them. Theres a belief that strongmen can better face the security risks, especially in the Sahelian countries where violence is spiraling, said Anna Schmauder, a research fellow focused on the Sahel in the conflict research unit of the Dutch think tank Clingendael. Africa is plagued by paramilitary militias and foreign mercenary groups. The regional economic bloc, ECOWAS, imposed punishing sanctions that were partly intended to turn Malians against the junta, putting pressure on the military leaders to commit to a speedy election timetable. A democratic decline, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is underway in sub-Saharan Africa. Russia is a federal semi-presidential republic and an oligarchy. There have been eight coups, successful and unsuccessful, in West and Central Africa between 2020 and 2022. However, foreign as well as domestic expectations for liberal democracy in Africa have often been unrealistic, and Africas setbacks are not surprising. Wagner group surges in Africa as U.S. influence fades, leak reveals. But the United States and other partners canand shoulddo their part to create the conditions under which those fighting for democracy and good governance can feel safe to pursue their work. The pandemic is exacerbating a decline of democracy across sub-Saharan Africa. Yet by invoking democracy to legitimate military takeover, coup plotters create a rod for their own backs. Europe North America Oceania South America See also Coup d'tat List of coups and coup attempts by country List of revolutions and rebellions (chronological listing) References ^ "Military coup ousts Niger president Mamadou Tandja". Sub-Saharan Africa: undemocratic regimes undermine Despite the decline, a plurality of countries (twenty-two) are considered partially free, in line with the sixteen-year average. This was an unpopular strategy, particularly because neither the constitutional referendum nor the general election that he subsequently won were free and fair. Anyone can read what you share. [33] Sudan: violence between army and militia is a symptom of an old VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules, What Europe's royals could teach King Charles. Kenya and the Ivory Coast, both with gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of around $2,000, are significantly richer than Malawi and the breakaway territory of Somaliland (rated separately from Somalia by Freedom House), each with income per person at around $400. Why Now? Chadian soldiers walk by the coffin of the late Chadian president Idriss Deby during the state funeral in Ndjamena last April. The military controls much of the economy, and can also count on businessmen in Khartoum and along the banks of the Nile who grew rich during al-Bashirs long rule and who view the RSF as crude warriors from the hinterlands. Hybrid dictatorships: What its like to live under a Dictatorship. For much of the continent, the foundations of a political culture necessary to sustain liberal democracy have been weak for most of the postcolonial era (roughly six decades for most African states). Some have been in power for decades, such as President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial New Guinea. Arab Gulf countries have looked to the Horn of Africa in recent years as they have sought to project power across the region. So, he said, the military thinks: You know, why not take over?. My research suggests that the United States is investing in poor partners. This third annual report monitors global progress towards the 2023 target for global elimination of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA), highlighting achievements from the past year. Put another way, Africa can and does reap a democratic dividend - the problem comes when supposedly democratic leaders start to use undemocratic strategies to keep themselves in power against the wishes of their people. Although it is true that some dictators are far more strict and overbearing than others, as a rule, dictatorships tend to result in a loss of personal autonomy, quality of life, and political choice for everyday citizens. One person holds all of the country's power. of coups and coup attempts since 2010 Izama saysthat "(t)he political leadership, especially here in sub-Saharan Africa, comes from a generation where society was structured so that the child would not contradict the father.". But billions of dollars in loans and aid were put on hold after the 2021 military coup. According to Opiyo, this involves using bots and trolls, computer programs, and paid users who use fake accounts to flood social media with posts favorable to the government. It uneasily shares its waters with regional heavyweights Egypt and Ethiopia. In 2021, social media shutdowns also took place in Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Senegal, Congo, Zambia, Chad, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Sudan. (The military) will want to take control of gold mines and smuggling routes. Now, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for earlier reconciliation efforts with neighboring Eritrea, is waging war in the north of his country. Dictatorship Countries 2023 - worldpopulationreview.com Communist Countries Sudan is Africas third-largest country by area and straddles the Nile River. https://www.nytimes.com/article/burkina-faso-africa-coup.html. In 2021, social media shutdownsalso took place in Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Senegal, Congo, Zambia, Chad, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Sudan. This publication is part of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy. Dictators are usually backed (especially financially) by groups of powerful people. Millions of people across the Sahel region have been displaced, and thousands are dead and often, people say that politicians seem not to notice or care, driving fancy cars and sending their children to expensive foreign schools. Examples might include King Cyrus the Great of Persia, who is thought to have created the first declaration of human rights, the Biblical King Solomon, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yue. The People's Republic of China is currently ruled by President Xi Jinping, who also serves as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, the country's Vice President, the President of the Central Party School, and the 1st ranked member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee. Panelists discuss how the private and public sectors can partner to develop, scale, and utilize emerging technologies to mitigate and adapt to the consequences of climate change. According toanalysis by the Oxford Internet Institute, the spread of misinformation driven by political organizations on social media has been sharply on the rise in recent years. Examples can be found across Africa: from Guinea to Somalia to South Africa, democracy ratings slid amid the COVID-19 crisis. In general, the lack of accountability that occurs under dictators and military juntas leads to greater corruption and less effective economic policy. Since its postwar founding, the UN agency has garnered both praise and criticism for its response to international public health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The Communist Party of China is the founding and sole governing political party of the People's Republic of China. Dictatorship has no future in Africa, former president, John Agyekum Kufuor has said. While autocratic countries are not always malevolent, they often still encounter resistance from citizens who would prefer to have a greater say in the government's policy-making process. Given the degree of censorship and control China's government leverages over its citizens, most political experts would call it a dictatorship. The Five Kinds of Dictatorship 1. Dagalo, a one-time camel herder from Darfur, has vast livestock holdings and gold mining operations. Where democracy stands in Africa today has myriad influences, including the legacy of colonialism and the emergence of the digital age. An unusual coup unfolded in Chad in April 2021. But some critics remain unconvinced. Its a recipe for the kind of prolonged conflict that has devastated other countries in the Middle East and Africa, from Lebanon and Syria to Libya and Ethiopia. Crowds gathered in the main plaza in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on Tuesday, a day after the military announced their takeover on state television. Not everyone supported the coup. There is this notion that bad elections are worse than no elections at all, said Ms. Moderan. Such measures are buttressed by the work on the ground by nongovernmental organizations, journalists, and active citizens, who ultimately are the catalyst for democratization and democratic consolidation. The military took advantage of public anger at a stolen parliamentary election and the governments failure to protect its people from violent extremists, and arrested President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and forced him to resign on state television. Despite repeated promises to leave office in 2024 (when his term limit is reached), Putin spearheaded a 2020 constitutional amendment enabling him to remain in power until 2036. Those criteria, and their application to a specific locale, are always subject to debate; the score can only be indicative, not definitive. Sub-Saharan Africa remains a region of stark political and socio-economic contrasts and many longstanding challenges. First came Mali, in August 2020. In addition to concerns over growing corruption and rising insecurity, this undermined his personal legitimacy. Mali also had a coup in 2012, and many Malians feel that after that, their country did everything the West demanded of it with regard to democracy, such as holding elections quickly. China's constitution calls its government a "people's democratic dictatorship." Meanwhile, the number of African countries that Freedom House rated not free has grown from a low of fourteen in 2006 and 2008 to twenty in 2021. Why Sudan's conflict matters to the rest of the world | AP News Mr. Kufuor said any attempt by leaders in Africa to restrict the freedom of the citizenry will stifle progress in the region. That said, there are two important differences between dictatorships and autocracies. Yet having promised to pave the way for more stable and inclusive government, this inevitably disappoints pro-democratic citizens to the point where the coup leaders themselves face the risk of being overthrown. Renewing America, Timeline When necessary, a dictator may also make an effort to replace or amend the nation's constitution to empower, enrich, or otherwise benefit the dictator and his/her allies to a greater degree. Initial progress was remarkable: In 1989, two-thirds of African states were not free, as measured by Freedom House. The nation turns on the television and collectively switches to the state channel, where they see new leaders, wearing berets and fatigues, announce that the Constitution has been suspended, national assembly dissolved, borders closed. Even in the countries in which a coup has taken place, a majority of citizens want to live in a democracy and reject authoritarian rule. President Obiang gained power in 1979 after ousting his uncle, Francisco Macas Nguema, and sentencing him to death by firing squad. COVID-19 has also dramatically redirected Ethiopias political landscape deeper into authoritarianism. By 2009, two-thirds were considered free or partly free.. November 4, 2022 Twitter said in a statement, however, that "(i)n most cases, the accounts were suspended for various violations of our platform manipulation and spam policies.". Littoral states are also, on average, freer than landlocked ones, likely benefitting from increased interactions with foreigners from democratic societiesa factor more important prior to the advent of the digital age. However, within this category, increasingly populist governments are suppressing opposition groups, postponing elections, eliminating term limits, and abusing human rights to maintain power. This third annual report monitors global progress towards the 2023 target for global elimination of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA), highlighting Read about our approach to external linking. Mali actually had two coups in a nine-month span. Eswatini. According to Freedom House, Malawi was the sole country globally whose democracy strengthened during COVID-19 lockdowns, after it became the first African country to overturn a fraudulent election through legal means and conduct a free and fair follow-up election. June 2, 2022, Stopping Illegal Gun Trafficking Through South Florida, Blog Post First, apps are downloaded via email attachments, then the software instals itself and accesses microphones, cameras, and social media.". In the last six years alone, at least 26 African countries have experienced transfers of power. In Africa, authoritarian states are often run by strongmen, geriatric leaders for life, some of whom are now looking to anoint their sons as their successors. The military also couldnt stop Chads president, Idris Dby, a retired general, from being killed on the battlefield as rebels tried to overthrow his government. This has been seen in Nigeria, where #EndSARS protesters organized online to demand police reforms; in Uganda, where presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as Bobi Wine, used social media to catalyze his People Power movement; and in Ghana, where Twitter users instigated a national discussion on illegal small-scale mining. Alex De Waal, a Sudan expert at Tufts University, wrote in a memo to colleagues this week that the conflict should be seen as the first round of a civil war.. The United Arab Emirates, a rising military power that has expanded its presence across the Middle East and East Africa, has close ties to the Rapid Support Forces, which sent thousands of fighters to aid the UAE and Saudi Arabia in their war against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures, Backgrounder Germany's 49 public transport ticket, Buhari's government banned Nigerians from accessing the micro-blogging site.