One person holds all of the country's power. Renewing America, Backgrounder 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. 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. This becomes clear if we go beyond the headlines to ask why some of the recent coups have been publicly celebrated. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been subjected to centuries of international intervention by European powers, as well as its African neighbors. China's constitution calls its government a "people's democratic dictatorship." The Guardian view on India at a crossroads: development, not 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. Russia is a federal semi-presidential republic and an oligarchy. This article was translated from German by Chrispin Mwakideu. The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) is stocked with autocrats, while the East African Community (EAC) has been but a weak presence to the point of risking irrelevance. In others, it is because they have political projects they wish to complete that take longer than expected. 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. Over the past decade, the Fed kept interest rates low while it deployed trillions of dollars in stimulus and expanded its regulatory oversight. Dictatorship has no future in Africa, former president, John Agyekum Kufuor has said. 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. Arab Gulf countries have looked to the Horn of Africa in recent years as they have sought to project power across the region. 2021 - Council on Foreign 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. 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. China is one of the few remaining Communist countries. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Sudan and Mali have all seen the government overthrown and replaced with a military junta. In southern Africa, the triumvirate of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa are all considered free. Geography is not quite destiny, but similarly rated countries do tend to form clusters. ", Meanwhile, some governments are even going further and targeting their citizens directly by exploiting their internet affinity:"Spy software is being bought by governments and installed specifically on smartphones,"Amnesty expert Ulm-Dsterhft told DW. 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. But some critics remain unconvinced. But while it is tempting to interpret the spate of coups as evidence that democracy in Africa is dying, that would be a mistake. Another reason is of course the need to try and avoid international condemnation and sanctions by pledging a return to multiparty elections and democratic governance. WebAs 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 by James McBride Dictatorship Countries 2021 - New African Magazine To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video, At the time, Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa initially justified the move by saying that Facebook and Twitter had shut down government accounts, making the social media blackout sound like a retaliatory measure. However, Chinas model of developmental authoritarianism remains attractive to those who see democracy as an impediment to development. 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. Dictatorship By 2009, two-thirds were considered free or partly free.. Leaders of these dictatorships often place those loyal to them in positions of power (qualified or not), and foster cults of personality to sway public opinion to their side. Until recently, successive Nigerian governments hadopposed an AFRICOM headquarters on the continent, as had Nigerias political class. African Dictators Have Been Losing PowerSome to Democratic Ultimately, said Ms. Schmauder, Military powers are kind of there to stay, and doing everything to cement their own power.. Political prisoners share how Jimmy Carter saved their lives Why African Nations Support U.S. Anti-Racism Protesters. Given the degree of censorship and control China's government leverages over its citizens, most political experts would call it a dictatorship. More Africans live under fully or partially authoritarian states today than at most points in the last two decades. 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. Similarly, former Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keta was accused of rigging the 2020 legislative elections. Negative effects include the unraveling of social organizations and democratic institutions and the prohibition of other political parties. By contrast, military regimes have a long history of abusing human rights while presiding over economic stagnation. These five nations that have recently experienced military coups form a broken line that stretches across the wide bulge of Africa, from Guinea on the west coast to Sudan in the east. Single-party dictatorships: 5. So, he said, the military thinks: You know, why not take over?. WebThe country earned an 11-point score declinethe largest in Freedom in the World 2021 and its status declined to Not Free. But this demand angers some people who think that the military is acting in the countrys interest. Vietnam. Now that it has, theyre warning that if the coup plotters arent punished, there will be more coups in the region. Denis Sassou Nguesso took power in 1997, and has remained the president of the Republic of Congo. What Does the World Health Organization Do? In recent months, negotiations were underway for a return to the democratic transition. In Ghanas 2020 election, former President John Mahama, running as the opposition candidate, rejected his defeat. Sudan: violence between army and militia is a symptom of an old The United State and the European Union have imposed sanctions on two Wagner-linked gold mining firms in Sudan accused of smuggling. https://www.nytimes.com/article/burkina-faso-africa-coup.html. Laos (Lao People's Democratic Republic) North Korea. A look at what is happening and the impact it could have outside Sudan. Initial progress was remarkable: In 1989, two-thirds of African states were not free, as measured by Freedom House. Five African Countries. Some have been in power for decades, such as President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial New Guinea. With every country that gets added to this list, the voices claiming that democracy is not working - and cannot work - in Africa grow louder. In Tanzania, Uganda's neighbor,Twitter took similar action, removing268 accounts for spreading "malicious reports" directed at members and supporters of the Tanzanian human rights organization Fichua Tanzania and its founder. 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. Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda, and Joseph Krauss in Ottawa, Ontario, contributed. This 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. Mr. Kufuor said any attempt by leaders in Africa to restrict the freedom of the citizenry will stifle progress in the region. 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. Protesters against military coup in Khartoum, Sudan, in October. Obiang's regime is known for state-sanctioned kidnappings, torture of prisoners, and unlawful killings. 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. They are also less likely to experience damaging conflicts and to commit widespread human rights abuses. April 23, 2023 at 2:00 a.m. EDT. When the Malian government fell, analysts warned that Burkina Faso could follow. Whether or not Putin is a dictator is a matter of some debate. My research suggests that the United States is investing in poor partners. On April 21, 1976, a group of four Greek Army colonels overthrew the caretaker government in a coup d'etat. Now, the central bank is back in the spotlight for its battle against inflation. by Lindsay Maizland President Obiang gained power in 1979 after ousting his uncle, Francisco Macas Nguema, and sentencing him to death by firing squad. Cuba. And that's the relationship between the state and the citizen," Izama told DW. Silja Frhlich is a German-born journalist. International powers insist that the military rulers should hold swift elections. Ghana is the most notable, positive exception in West Africa. 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 By 2021 this had dropped to 84, yet nearly half of the world's population was still classified as 'at risk' of malaria. 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 Guinea, former President Alpha Cond controversially modified the constitution in 2020 to allow him to run for a third term in office. of coups and coup attempts since 2010 They also provide added stability around elections. by Lindsay Maizland Dictatorship Countries Robyn Dixon. 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. After all, the overthrow of civilian presidents was followed by street celebrations in some countries as citizens cheered the downfall of elected leaders. Cairo has reached out to both sides in Sudan to press for a cease-fire but is unlikely to stand by if the military faces defeat. Not necessarily. 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. Egypt has close ties to Sudans military, which it sees as an ally against Ethiopia. Dagalo, a one-time camel herder from Darfur, has vast livestock holdings and gold mining operations. 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. Annual Lecture on China. Political instability can manifest itself in severe episodes of violence, as is already being seen in Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Nigeria. 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. The 25 Best Countries View All 29 Slides Sudans regional, economic and strategic importance Sudan is located at a critical nexus, geographically. November 4, 2022 Social media is becoming another tool of oppression.". American-made guns trafficked through Florida ports are destabilizing the Caribbean and Central America and fueling domestic crime. 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.
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