Voice of America
26 Jan 2023, 04:35 GMT+10
Dakar - A new report on African governance released Wednesday finds much of the continent is 'less safe, secure and democratic' than it was 10 years ago, citing a surge in military coups and armed conflicts.
The democratic backsliding now threatens to reverse decades of progress made in Africa, according to an index of governance compiled by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation that notes 23 successful and attempted coups since 2012.
'This phenomenon of coup d'etats that was common in the '80s seems to have become fashionable again in certain parts of Africa,' said Ibrahim, a British billionaire born in Sudan who is using his fortune to promote democracy and political accountability in Africa.
His foundation's report cited eight successful coups just since 2019. Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso have seen two each during that time, further destabilizing a part of the world already under siege by Islamic militants.
The report's authors also found overall security problems pervasive: Over the past decade, nearly 70% of Africans saw security and rule of law decrease in their countries, they said. More than 30 countries declined in this category, according to the index.
South Sudan ranked at the bottom, followed by Somalia, Eritrea, Congo, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Burundi, Libya and Equatorial Guinea.
Government violence against civilians and political unrest increased across Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the report says, with governments using restrictions to clamp down on dissent.
'Although this trend predates the pandemic, existing antidemocratic tendencies have been accelerated by the introduction of restrictive measures and emergency provisions that have been left in place for an extended time period,' it said.
The index did chart improvements in some economic, education and gender equity categories, Ibrahim said. However, the report only analyzed data through the end of 2021 so did not take into account the full impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Get a daily dose of Greek Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Greek Herald.
More InformationLONDON, U.K.: British oil giant Shell has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire rival oil company BP. The Wall Street Journal...
LONDON, U.K.: A little-known investment fund based in the United Arab Emirates has emerged as the most prominent public backer of U.S....
New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): The Indian rupee is expected to trade in the range of 85.25-86.25 against the US dollar in the near...
New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Kesavan Ramachandran as Executive Director of RBI with...
The inflation is driven by the price of services, which recorded a yearly inflation rate of 3.3 percent in June, up from 3.2 percent...
DUBAI, 1st July 2025 (WAM) -- Emirates will be layering on more retrofitted Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s on its existing schedules...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Under pressure from European regulators, Apple has revamped its App Store policies in the EU, introducing...
The US president has urged the Palestinian group to accept his Gaza ceasefire proposal US President Donald Trump has publicly warned...
US President Donald Trump urged Iran-backed Hamas militants to agree to what he called a final proposal for a 60-day cease-fire with...
(250702) -- ANKARA, July 2, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Syrians shop at a local market in the Onder neighborhood of Ankara, Trkiye, on July 1,...
Washington DC [US], July 2 (ANI): United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) said that Israel has agreed to the necessary...
U.S. Senate passes Trump's landmark mega-bill The GOP-led Senate on Tuesday passed U.S. President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful...