Ivory Coast president Alassane Ouattara has just recently removed its Prime Minister and government. The president has thanked everyone for their service and will take temporary control until new elections in 2025. In the Ivory Coast dissolving government in recent years has become normal, with the now former prime minister previously tabling his resignation. But the larger issue is what is happening across the African continent.
Here at NGF, you have probably heard multiple times about what is going on in Africa. That is because we take the ongoing struggles seriously and want to make sure the world knows what is going on. We seem to be looking at a trend in the 21st century. African governments have been turning away from democracy towards autocracy.
After many series of coups, lack of trust in government, and an increase in authoritarian regimes, it is hard to truly argue that Africa wants democracy. The 8 coups show a distrust in government and ties to the west. Gabon and Niger have rejected France after their leaders had ties to their government. Of the 22 countries in West and Central Africa, over half are considered to be autocracies.
So why the sudden shift? Is it so sudden? When Europeans pulled out of Africa post-colonization, local governments struggled to pull together a national government. In many countries, there are so many different ethnic groups that for decades the groups struggled to agree on anything. Civil wars, ethnic cleansings, and genocides were unfortunately what Africa was known for during the 20th century. 242 successful coups have happened since 1950. During the Cold War, the United States and Russia fought to influence democracy and communism across the continent. This created constant fighting along with extreme ethnic differences in some areas.
So have African countries truly ever embraced Democracy? In some cases yes they have. Nigeria and Kenya are great examples and there are many more. But on the flip side, there are many more autocracies. The real issue at heart is Western and recently Chinese intervention. Africa is growing tired of being told how to run their governments by the west. They are also tired of Chinese exploitation. African people want autonomy, and until that is achieved, they will reject anyone who interferes.
I am not going to give you any solutions. We have beaten that drum so many times. The truth is, that the west needs to allow autonomy for the African countries and strictly work with governments on an economic level.
Author: Joshua Cheatham
