Back in Uganda,the government in the capital Kampala has also been trying to make itharder for Ugandans to get independent information online by imposing taxes on mobile data. To combat the trend, the United States and other partners should commit to the painstaking work of bolstering democratic institutions. April 23, 2023 at 2:00 a.m. EDT. But whats happening is the exact opposite, said Ornella Moderan, head of the Sahel Program at the Institute for Security Studies, which is based in Pretoria, South Africa. 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. As of 2020, there are 52 nations with a dictator or authoritarian regime ruling the country: Three in Latin America and South America, 27 in Asia and the Middle East, and 22 in Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been subjected to centuries of international intervention by European powers, as well as its African neighbors. Yet Rwanda is the exception rather than the rule. First, apps are downloaded via email attachments, then the software instals itself and accesses microphones, cameras, and social media.". By 2021 this had dropped to 84, yet nearly half of the world's population was still classified as 'at risk' of malaria. Why Now? Control over political funds will be no less decisive than the battlefield, De Waal said. The situation could have been even more What can Africas foreign friends do to encourage a democratic trajectory? 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 internet and social media are increasingly empowering Africas youthful population to become politically active. Sudan is Africas third-largest country by area and straddles the Nile River. The sanctions have caused anger, but against ECOWAS, not the junta. Under the command of Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Party faces a host of domestic and international challenges as it aims to bolster Chinas great-power status. ", Angelo Izama, a political consultant and journalist from Uganda, describesthe move rather as an "overreaction" rooted in deeply-held patriarchal beliefs. Whats Happening to Democracy in Africa? Declan Walsh contributed reporting from Ouagadougou. 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. Conceptually, security assistance programs that engage military and police forcesare a greater challenge, especially given the alienation of many Africans from their governments. In 2021, social media shutdowns also took place in Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Senegal, Congo, Zambia, Chad, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Sudan. 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. Sudan became an international pariah when it hosted Osama bin Laden and other militants in the 1990s, when al-Bashir had empowered a hard-line Islamist government. Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda, and Joseph Krauss in Ottawa, Ontario, contributed. and. 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. What Does the World Health Organization Do? when approximately half of the Read about our approach to external linking. Chadian soldiers walk by the coffin of the late Chadian president Idriss Deby during the state funeral in Ndjamena last April. Dagalo, a one-time camel herder from Darfur, has vast livestock holdings and gold mining operations. On 18 September 2001, Eritrean President Issaias Afeworki took advantage of the fact that the world was still stunned by the 9/11 terrorist attacks to transform his country into a dictatorship and ban all independent media. It's time for the United States to get serious about stopping the flow. 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. Weekly. Of these eight, half are small island states: Cape Verde, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe, and Seychelles. Robyn Dixon. Return to text. Personal security in many parts of Africa has declined dramatically, in some places because of a jihadi onslaught, in others from criminal gangs, and in still others from ethnic and religious conflicts often exacerbated by self-serving politicians. 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. The Economist declared it country of the year. by Lindsay Maizland In other countries, such as the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and South Sudan, power has changed hands more frequently, though transfers have come from coups, wars, or deals between elites made behind closed doors. The Modern Worlds Dictatorship Countries African Dictators A Global View of Dictators Is China a dictatorship? They also provide added stability around elections. 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. Egypt has close ties to Sudans military, which it sees as an ally against Ethiopia. "The spread of fake news is a real problem," said Ugandan human rights activist Nicholas Opiyo in a DW interview. First came Mali, in August 2020. by The premise of the "people's democratic dictatorship" is that the Chinese Party of China and the state represent and act on behalf of the people, but possess and may use powers against reactionary forces. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni is suspected of using fake social media accounts to consolidate his power. Conceived as the principal defenders of the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has evolved into an institution with vast political, economic, and military power. An unusual coup unfolded in Chad in April 2021. Russia, meanwhile, has long harbored plans to build a naval base capable of hosting up to 300 troops and four ships in Port Sudan, on a crucial Red Sea trading route for energy shipments to Europe. From 2015 to 2020, the United States provided over $4.8 billion in SFA to sub-Saharan Africa. For some, this was evidence that the African Union has become little more than a weak and biased dictators club. Facebook alsostatedthat as part of its strategy, the Ministry of Information had been using "fake and duplicate accounts" for propaganda purposes. Sub-Saharan Africa remains a region of stark political and socio-economic contrasts and many longstanding challenges. Opiyo believes that this is whysocial media regulations are becoming necessary. 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. February 13, 2023 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. A curation of original analyses, data visualizations, and commentaries, examining the debates and efforts to improve health worldwide. Not everyone supported the coup. That, along with the war in Ukraine and global inflation, sent the economy into free-fall. Global Health Program, Innovating Solutions to the Climate Crisis, Virtual Event International powers insist that the military rulers should hold swift elections. He wouldn't be the only one in Africa. While their president was imprisoned at a military base, hundreds of Malians celebrated with soldiers in the streets. 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. and. This The external mediators risk becoming a traffic jam with no policeman, De Waal said. But that solved nothing: Insecurity got worse; corruption and living standards, no better. WebAfrica A tank in downtown Harare Asia Thai soldiers at the Chang Phueak Gate in Chiang Mai. Soldiers received a rapturous welcome after they seized power in Guinea last year, This supporters of Mali's football team held a picture of coup leader Colonel Assimi Goita before a recent Africa Cup of Nations match, Sudanese protesters continue to risk their lives to demand an end to military rule, Rwanda markets itself as a high-tech hub but there is no room for criticism of the government, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Gunfire rings out. However, Chinas model of developmental authoritarianism remains attractive to those who see democracy as an impediment to development. Power is obtained and passed on through family connections. 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. Initial signs following Magufulis death are promising for Tanzanian democracy: Samia Suluhu Hassan, the vice president under Magufuli, was sworn in as president as prescribed by the constitution. 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. 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. with Heidi Campbell and Paul Brandeis Raushenbush Three years later, thatfigure had risen to 81 countries. First is that an autocracy nearly always focuses power in a single individual person, whereas dictatorshipssingle-party dictatorships in particularsometimes spread the power throughout a small group of people (say, the leaders of the dictator's political party).
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