By Greg Miller. Dictators In Africa NMN Africa The United State and the European Union have imposed sanctions on two Wagner-linked gold mining firms in Sudan accused of smuggling. In Ghanas 2020 election, former President John Mahama, running as the opposition candidate, rejected his defeat. The RSF will want to interrupt major transport arteries including the road from Port Sudan to Khartoum.. October 6, 2022. Facebook alsostatedthat as part of its strategy, the Ministry of Information had been using "fake and duplicate accounts" for propaganda purposes. But in Sudan, as in other resource-rich African nations, armed groups have long enriched themselves through the shadowy trade in rare minerals and other natural resources. Arab Gulf countries have looked to the Horn of Africa in recent years as they have sought to project power across the region. Backgrounder However, within this category, increasingly populist governments are suppressing opposition groups, postponing elections, eliminating term limits, and abusing human rights to maintain power. 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. Yet Rwanda is the exception rather than the rule. The internet and social media are increasingly empowering Africas youthful population to become politically active. In their first meeting, in April 2021, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari proposed to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the headquarters of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) be moved from Stuttgart, Germany, to an African country. 2021 The pro-military sentiment does not extend to Sudan. Arab Gulf countries have looked to the Horn of Africa in recent years as they have sought to project power across the region. In 2021, social media shutdownsalso took place in Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Senegal, Congo, Zambia, Chad, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Sudan. Three years later, thatfigure had risen to 81 countries. Communist Countries If we wait until the next elections in 2025 to change leaders, our country will no longer exist, he said. 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. Others, such as Botswana, enjoy high levels of economic and social development. In others, it is because they have political projects they wish to complete that take longer than expected. by Lindsay Maizland February 13, 2023 Both the military and the public were outraged that their officers were not well-enough equipped or trained to withstand such an attack. 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. by James McBride, Anshu Siripurapu and Noah Berman 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. 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. An autocracy, monarchy, and dictatorship. List Of Dictatorship Countries & Countries Ruled by Dictator Connect with the definitive source for global and local news, are each seeking to seize control of Sudan, has made inroads across Africa in recent years, removed Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, has vast livestock holdings and gold mining operations. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni is suspected of using fake social media accounts to consolidate his power. The president is nowhere to be seen. The 25 Best Countries View All 29 Slides Sudans regional, economic and strategic importance Sudan is located at a critical nexus, geographically. dictatorship In Guinea, former President Alpha Cond controversially modified the constitution in 2020 to allow him to run for a third term in office. Hybrid dictatorships blend elements of the other four types. In 2011, the Obama White House launched the Open Government Partnership, an initiative in which member governmentsover a dozen of them Africanmade concrete commitments to promote transparency, empower citizens, and fight corruption. However, after the January 16 election, Kutesa said the shut-downhad been"a necessary step to stop the biting language and incitement to violence. First came Mali, in August 2020. In countries like Guinea and Mali, leaders did not lose popularity because they established genuine democracies that failed because this system of government is somehow incompatible with African realities. 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. But the longer (the fighting) drags on the more likely it is we see major external intervention.. This is often done via questionable means, including intimidation, imprisonment (lawful or not), physical violence, or even assassination. But while it is tempting to interpret the spate of coups as evidence that democracy in Africa is dying, that would be a mistake. 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. However, foreign as well as domestic expectations for liberal democracy in Africa have often been unrealistic, and Africas setbacks are not surprising. Fighting in Sudan between forces loyal to two top generals has put that nation at risk of collapse and could have consequences far beyond its borders. Ghanas President Nana Akufo-Addo said on Friday, It represents a threat to peace, security and stability in West-Africa.. 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. President John Magufuli repeatedlydownplayed the threatposed by COVID-19, claiming that prayer had defeated the disease in his country. Power is obtained and passed on through family connections. On April 21, 1976, a group of four Greek Army colonels overthrew the caretaker government in a coup d'etat. This is understandable, as the terms are very similar. WebAfrica A tank in downtown Harare Asia Thai soldiers at the Chang Phueak Gate in Chiang Mai. It uneasily shares its waters with regional heavyweights Egypt and Ethiopia. Even before the pandemic, an increasing number of African heads of state had moved to undermine term limits or rig elections to remain in power. Both sides have tens of thousands of fighters, foreign backers, mineral riches and other resources that could insulate them from sanctions. Also significant has been the role of the police and the army, often vestiges of colonialism, which have been a cause and consequence of power systems favoring a coterie of elites. 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. What makes post-independence sub-Saharan Africa so interesting is that they have witnessed all forms of regimes including royal dictatorship, military dictatorship and civilian dictatorship making up the autocratic regimes, as well as democratic regimes that include parliamentary democracy, mixed democracy and presidential democracy. Totalitarian Countries 2023 - worldpopulationreview.com Other dictators across Latin America also released political prisoners and hastened transitions to democratic elections, a transformation Carter encouraged without sending Americans into combat. Sudan is Africas third-largest country by area and straddles the Nile River. Political instability can manifest itself in severe episodes of violence, as is already being seen in Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Nigeria. Mali actually had two coups in a nine-month span. Protesters against military coup in Khartoum, Sudan, in October. WebList of Every Communist Country in the World as of 2021: China. Hybrid dictatorships: What its like to live under a Dictatorship. when approximately half of the by Will Freeman 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. Eswatini is currently ruled by king Makhosetive III Dlamini since 1986. "We documented this last year for Togo and Rwanda, for example. The Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary outfit with close ties to the Kremlin, has made inroads across Africa in recent years and has been operating in Sudan since 2017. The situation could have been even more During the presidents weekslong public absence prior, at least one man was arrested for questioning his health. 8. The Presidents Malaria Initiative and Other U.S. Government You are also agreeing to our. Negative effects include the unraveling of social organizations and democratic institutions and the prohibition of other political parties. PMI, Presidents Malaria Initiative Strategy 2021-2026, 2021. Five African Countries. In Uganda,author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija posted comments that were critical of the government on social media, which led to his detention, during which he allegedly wastortured by security agents. When Facebook took action, President Museveni's press secretary, Don Wanyama, whose Facebook and Instagram accounts were also suspended, accused Facebook of trying to influence the 2021 election in Uganda: "Shame on the foreign powers who think they can impose a puppet government on Uganda by disabling the online accounts of NRM supporters," Wanyama wrote on Twitter at the time. Yet by invoking democracy to legitimate military takeover, coup plotters create a rod for their own backs. Monarchies: 3. Supporters of a military As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Nonetheless, the index provides an objective standard and vocabulary with which to assess and compare personal freedoms across Africa. Eswatini. April 23, 2023 at 2:00 a.m. EDT. Finding a way out of instability and insecurity will therefore require building stronger democratic institutions that can withstand manipulation by political leaders, not authoritarian ones that exclude citizens and run counter to their aspirations. In their book "Dictators and Dictatorships: Understanding Authoritarian Regimes and Their Leaders", authors Natasha M. Ezrow and Erica Frantz lay out five types of dictatorships: Power is obtained and maintained through military might. During a 2009 visit to Ghana, U.S. President Barack Obama famously said in an address to the parliament, Africa doesnt need strongmen, it needs strong institutions. But institution-building requires time and patience. Paramilitary power brokers. 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. Web6. Robyn Dixon. November 8, 2022 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. But some critics remain unconvinced. Countdown to 2023: WHO report on global trans-fat elimination 2021 All the attention goes to organizing periodic elections, which in most cases are rigged, he said. Cellou Binani/Agence France-Presse Getty Images. Backgrounder Sudan: violence between army and militia is a symptom of an old 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 Economic prosperity, also concentrated on the coasts [PDF], likely has also influenced a positive democratic trajectory. Crowds gathered in the main plaza in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on Tuesday, a day after the military announced their takeover on state television. When the third wave of democratization swept across much of Africa in the wake of the Cold War, hopes were high that Africans would begin to enjoy the freedoms afforded to citizens living in the former colonial powers. President Obiang gained power in 1979 after ousting his uncle, Francisco Macas Nguema, and sentencing him to death by firing squad. Whats Happening to Democracy in Africa? Chart: Malaria: Progress and Challenges | Statista Buharis remarkable reversal is an indication of the security threat posed by groups such as Boko Haram that draw on the alienation of many Africans from their governments, in part the result of stalling or declining democracy. Russia is a federal semi-presidential republic and an oligarchy. The Communist Party of China is the founding and sole governing political party of the People's Republic of China. The situation could have been even more alarming, because failed coup attempts have been reported in the Central African Republic (CAR) and, just days ago, Guinea-Bissau. Dictatorship countries Silja Frhlich is a German-born journalist. Rumors spread of a military takeover. In turn, this is one reason that military juntas typically justify their actions by claiming that they were intended to reinstitute the rule of law and save democracy from itself. From 1967 to 1974, Greece was ruled by an extreme right-wing military dictatorship known as the Regime of the Colonels. 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. Annual Lecture on China. by Olivia Angelino, Thomas J. Bollyky, Elle Ruggiero and Isabella Turilli Dictatorship has no future in Africa, former president, John Agyekum Kufuor has said. In April alone, Sudan's Omar Hassan al-Bashir and Algeria's Abdelaziz Bouteflika were forced to Germany's 49 public transport ticket, Buhari's government banned Nigerians from accessing the micro-blogging site. WebDigital democracy and digital dictatorship have emerged as two sides of the same coin, with politicians and citizens vying to exploit technology to further their agendas. Examples include the Personalist/Military dictatorship of Pakistan from 1977 to 1988 and the Single-Party/Military hybrid that controlled El Salvador from 1948 to 1984. Return of the military strongmen to West Africa, Why Burkina Faso's coup has prompted celebrations, Sudan protests: 'Did I just survive a massacre? But here, Leonard Mbulle-Nziege and Nic Cheeseman argue that - despite these set-backs - democracy is the way forward for Africa. But he says thatsociety is changing, he says, leaving such political elites in the dust. 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 and. Dictators typically retain their power by silencing any opposition to their rulings and guidelines. What is more, despite growing frustration with the way that multiparty politics is performing, on average democracies generate higher economic growth and do a better job of providing public services, according to a study at the US's Cornell University. Ghana is the most notable, positive exception in West Africa. Similarly, former Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keta was accused of rigging the 2020 legislative elections. The external mediators risk becoming a traffic jam with no policeman, De Waal said. Those who believe that he is a dictator argue that he imprisons his opponents, removed freedom of speechthe press can only publish what he allows them toand has restructured the government to give himself more and longer-lasting power. Chadian soldiers walk by the coffin of the late Chadian president Idriss Deby during the state funeral in Ndjamena last April. COVID-19 presents a unique opportunity: were the United States to launch a vast vaccination assistance program, it would affirm to many Africans that democracy and good governance can address their ills. The leader may be supported by a party or military, but still retains the overwhelming majority of power, especially regarding whom to place in which governmental roles, and relies heavily upon their own charisma to maintain control. They are also less likely to experience damaging conflicts and to commit widespread human rights abuses. Nobel Laureate Chinua Achebes words about his own country apply just as well to many other African countries: The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. Powers farther afield havent done much better. Of these eight, half are small island states: Cape Verde, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe, and Seychelles. Renewing America, Backgrounder African Dictators Have Been Losing PowerSome to Democratic Renewing America, Timeline So, he said, the military thinks: You know, why not take over?. Yet, if a witchs brew of jihadi terrorists, criminal networks, and the disaffected destroy sitting governments, the human rights consequences certainly will be worse than the status quo. Cuba. Read about our approach to external linking. (The military) will want to take control of gold mines and smuggling routes. Mr. Kufuor said any attempt by leaders in Africa to restrict the freedom of the citizenry will stifle progress in the region. Malcolm and Carolyn Wiener Annual Lecture, Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: Religion and Technology, Virtual Event West African leaders on Friday called an emergency summit on the situation in Burkina Faso, where the new military leader, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, told the nation in his first public address on Thursday night that he would return the country to constitutional order when the conditions are right., The resurgence of coups has alarmed the regions remaining civilian leaders. Why Sudan's conflict matters to the rest of the world | AP News This growing trend is driving democratic backsliding on the continent. Ultimately, said Ms. Schmauder, Military powers are kind of there to stay, and doing everything to cement their own power.. Given the degree of censorship and control China's government leverages over its citizens, most political experts would call it a dictatorship. It has been endowed in perpetuity through a gift from CFR members Malcolm and Carolyn Wiener. 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). This article was translated from German by Chrispin Mwakideu. 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. Gunfire rings out. Wagner group surges in Africa as U.S. influence fades, leak reveals. However, in Central Africa and the Horn, almost all states are authoritarian. Across Africa, long-standing dictators are losing their grip on power. A citizen casts her ballot during parliamentary elections in April 2021 in Praia, Cape Verde. 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. of coups and coup attempts since 2010 For some, this was evidence that the African Union has become little more than a weak and biased dictators club. COVID-19 has also dramatically redirected Ethiopias political landscape deeper into authoritarianism. Small island nations make up an outsize share of free African countries, and they are freer on average than similarly sized countries on the mainland, such as Djibouti and Eswatini. Chart: Malaria: Progress and Challenges | Statista There have been eight coups, successful and unsuccessful, in West and Central Africa between 2020 and 2022. 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. Again, the Most African regional organizations have a stated vocation of promoting democracy. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else.. Michele Cattani/Agence France-Presse Getty Images, governments failure to protect its people from violent extremists. It set the stage for this takeover, said Mr. Salifu. the military took back full control of the government. Countries are responding to the World Health Organization (WHO) call to action by putting into place best-practice TFA policies. Nearly all are mired in their own internal conflicts, with various rebel groups operating along the porous borders. In March 2021, Magufuli diedhis death was attributed to heart disease but was likely brought on by COVID-19. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Ulm-Dsterhft warns users not to download any unknown apps, take a close look at dubious social media accounts, and contact the app operators if in doubt. Africa Earlier this year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that using the pandemic as a pretext, authorities in some countries have deployed heavy-handed security responses and emergency measures to crush dissent, criminalize basic freedoms, silence independent reporting, and curtail the activities of nongovernmental organizations. Freedom House reported in late 2020 that democracy in eighty countries was worse off due to the pandemic. The second-largest decline in this years report occurred in Belarus, which lost eight points as security forces attempted to crush antigovernment demonstrations triggered by the fraudulent reelection of Alyaksandr 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. There is this notion that bad elections are worse than no elections at all, said Ms. Moderan. Dictatorship Countries 2021 - New African Magazine Dictatorships suffer from an obvious and significant imbalance of power. 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. Military takeovers are unlikely to provide an effective way out of this dangerous spiral, because every coup weakens democratic institutions and reasserts the power of the gun at the expense of the power of the ballot box. 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. But that solved nothing: Insecurity got worse; corruption and living standards, no better. Now that it has, theyre warning that if the coup plotters arent punished, there will be more coups in the region. Whoever takes power now, he needs to follow the example of Mali reject France, and start to take our own decisions, said Anatole Compaore, a customer in a cellphone market in Ouagadougou, in the early hours of the coup. Declan Walsh contributed reporting from Ouagadougou. Also called a dominant party dictatorship or one-party state. Not everyone supported the coup. Why African Nations Support U.S. Anti-Racism Protesters. Dictatorship Countries 2023 - worldpopulationreview.com On the 20th anniversary of his crackdown in Eritrea, which is still a news and information black hole, Reporters Without By contrast, military regimes have a long history of abusing human rights while presiding over economic stagnation. People are fed up with their governments for many reasons major security threats, relentless humanitarian disasters and millions of young people having no prospects. South Africa continues to wrestle with the fallout of Across 11 countries surveyed in both 2008-2009 and 2019-2020, the Arab Gulf countries have looked to the Horn of Africa in recent years as they have sought to project power across the region. However, many people in long-running dictatorships such as North Korea and Cameroon have never experienced anything else, so living in a dictatorship is much less jarring and shocking to them. By entering your email and clicking subscribe, you're agreeing to receive announcements from CFR about our products and services, as well as invitations to CFR events. Anyone can read what you share. There are currently 22 dictators in Africa, some worse than others. 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.
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