A Polling Station in South Africa. Credit: Elliott Stallion
Sub-Saharan Africa, one of the world's poorest and most conflict-prone regions, has long struggled to establish democratic forms of government. Despite recent progress in some countries, many nations in the region continue to be concentrated at the bottom of the Democracy Index rankings. The Democracy Index, compiled by the UK-based research firm, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), measures the state of democracy in countries around the world based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties.
In 2022, the continent had only one "full democracy" - Mauritius - and six "flawed democracies". The number of countries classified as "hybrid regimes" remained unchanged from the 2021 index, with 14 countries falling into this category. Authoritarian forms of government continue to dominate the region, with 23 countries still classified as such.
The state of political freedom in Sub-Saharan Africa has a significant impact on the lives of its citizens. In authoritarian countries, opposition leaders, journalists, and human rights activists are often suppressed or imprisoned, while citizens face restrictions on their freedom of speech, press, and assembly. In flawed democracies, governments may be elected through free and fair elections, but civil liberties are often restricted, and corruption and cronyism remain major problems.
The 2022 Democracy Index reveals a marginal improvement in the average score for Sub-Saharan Africa, rising from 4.12 in 2021 to 4.14. Despite this improvement, the region remains the second-lowest ranked globally, with only the Middle East and North Africa having a lower average score. The improvement in the score is largely driven by a 0.06-point increase in the political culture category, reflecting changing perceptions of military rule in the region. However, scores for other categories such as electoral process, functioning of government, and civil liberties show hardly any improvement.
The trend of democratic retreat continues in west Africa, with Burkina Faso being the latest country to fall prey to military rule. In Burkina Faso, two military coups took place within a year, which received strong popular support and highlight a loss of public confidence in political institutions. The unrest in the Western Sahel region has also contributed to the decline in scores for Burkina Faso and other countries in the region.
Citizens in Sub-Saharan Africa remain committed to democracy, as evidenced by their participation in demonstrations and protests. The public discontent with governments is driven by rising domestic prices, unemployment, food insecurity, corruption, and poor public services. The growing social unrest in the region is a reflection of a decline in public confidence in government's ability to fulfill their electoral promises.
However, the response of governments to demonstrations and dissent has been increasingly authoritarian, with a clampdown on media freedoms and civil rights. In Sierra Leone, internet services were disrupted, and a national curfew was imposed after anti-government protests, leading to clashes between security personnel and civilians. Similarly, the Ethiopian government imposed a nationwide internet blackout in response to anti-government protests.
In Angola, the government is rated as an authoritarian regime, with a score of 3.96 and a global rank of 109. The country is characterized by a lack of political pluralism and a weak functioning of government, with a score of 4.50 and 3.21 respectively. Similarly, in Burkina Faso, the government is rated as an authoritarian regime, with a score of 3.08 and a global rank of 127. The country's scores in the categories of functioning of government and political participation are particularly low, with scores of 2.50 and 3.33 respectively.
In Chad and Central African Republic, the governments are rated as authoritarian, with scores of 1.67 and 1.35 respectively. These countries are among the lowest ranked in the world in terms of political freedom and suffer from weak governance, limited civil liberties, and widespread corruption. In Cameroon, the government is rated as an authoritarian regime, with a score of 2.56 and a regional rank of 37. The country's scores in the categories of political participation and political culture are particularly low, with scores of 2.14 and 3.89 respectively.
In contrast, Mauritius, the only full democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa, is ranked 21st globally with a score of 8.14. The country has a high level of political participation, with a score of 9.17, and a strong functioning of government, with a score of 7.86. Similarly, Botswana is rated as a flawed democracy, with a score of 7.73 and a global rank of 32. The country scores highly in the categories of electoral process and pluralism, with a score of 9.17, and functioning of government, with a score of 6.79.
In Ghana, the government is rated as a flawed democracy, with a score of 6.43 and a global rank of 63. The country has a relatively high level of political participation, with a score of 8.33, but scores relatively low in the category of civil liberties, with a score of 5.00. In Kenya, the government is rated as a hybrid regime, with a score of 5.05 and a regional rank of 14. The country scores relatively highly in the categories of political participation and functioning of government, with scores of 5.36 and 6.67 respectively.
Overall, the Democracy Index findings reveal the challenges facing the democratization process in Sub-Saharan Africa and the need for continued efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and processes. The region's citizens continue to demand democracy and hold their leaders accountable, but the lack of security and institutional capacity limits the effectiveness of democratic governance.
