Center

for American Awesomeness

Saving Africa: The Great Need to Promote Self- Sustaining Democracy in Africa
Joshua Zollman April 11th, 2013
Africa has long been viewed as a continent crowded with troubled countries, stricken by poverty, and plagued by war. However, as colonialism ceased and many African countries achieved their independence, democracy began to take hold in the region. By 1995, 18 sub- Saharan African countries were considered functioning democracies, with 35 more in a transitional state toward democracy.1 Now, over 20 years since many of the 1990s democratic grassroots movements were successful in overthrowing authoritarian regimes, there have been some major setbacks and reversals in Africas journey towards democracy.2 Many believe that there has been a steady erosion of democratic standards.3 The declining trend of democracy in Africa has serious implications for not only Africans, but also for the United States and the world economy. Without democracy, human rights violations are rampant, wealth seldom finds the hands of the common African, and freedom is rare. Thus, there is a great need to promote self-sustaining democratic systems in Africa democracies that will prove more enduring than many of the failing post-colonial, pseudo- democratic regimes. In order to achieve this, we must implement policy that Harnesses the wealth of natural resources present in African land Promotes democratic practices on the grass-roots level Wisely disburses aid to Africans in need 1

The Need for Real Democracy in Africa Current Problems with Africas Pseudo-Democracies There is a clear, regressing trend of democracy in Africa. In fact, even in countries where democratic systems are in place, corruption has become ubiquitous. Elections, more often than not, do not result in representative governments. While many regimes over the last couple decades have come to power through democratic means, Africans fear that these regimes will refuse democratic principles once they have had the opportunity to stabilize their power bases.4 There are numerous examples of this phenomenon, including Paul Biya of Cameroon and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. These leaders have remained in power despite the widespread desire and the tremendous efforts to oust them.5 Once these leaders are in power, the so- called democratic elections they hold are often hardly democratic at all. For example, Teodoro Obiang, President of Equatorial Guinea, was elected in a corrupt election in which he won with 95% of the vote and his party won 99% of the parliament seats.6 In addition, Gambians boycotted their elections on March 29th, under the assumption that they would be rigged.7 Instances of violence at the polls have also increased, as Kenya, Nigeria, Cte d'Ivoire, and Zimbabwe all saw violence during their most recent elections.8 Lack of voter data, high rates Source: CQ Global Researcher of illiteracy, and lack of capable institutions are also huge http://library.cqpress.com/globalresearcher/d 9 ocument.php?id=cqrglobal2011021500&type= problems that prevent fair elections from taking place. hitlist&num=1 The absence of freedom of press in African countries is also a major indicator of the lack of democratic practices taking place.10 Africas vast wealth of natural resources has not coincided with a rise of democratic rights, nor has it lead to significant reductions of poverty. Despite the fact that the economies of oil-exporting countries are growing fast, according to the World Bank, about half of Africas population lives in poverty.11 A notable example of the decline of democracy in conjunction with abundant natural resource wealth is occurring in Equatorial Guinea. According to a probe by the U.S. Senate Government Affairs Permament Subcommittee on Investigations, President Teodoro Obiang has deposited tens of millions of dollars from the countrys oil exports into bank accounts overseas, despite the fact that the majority of the population is living in extreme poverty. Meanwhile Obiang has reportedly abducted, detained, tortured, and executed his opponents.12 2

 On the opposite side of the spectrum, Ghana and Botswana, considered two of the most democratic countries in Africa, also have two of the best economic outlooks in the region.13 These two countries demonstrate the value of democracy for promoting both human rights and economic prosperity. In fact, former U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) official John Harbeson has stated that Botswana would be a good model for democracy programs in Africa.14 Research also shows that the demand for democracy is high among residents in Sub-Saharan African countries, further demonstrating the value of democratic programming. Source: CQ Global Researcher http://library.cqpress.com/globalresearcher/d ocument.php?id=cqrglobal2011021500&type= hitlist&num=1 Policy Suggestions for Promoting Self-sustaining Democracy in Africa 1. Harnessing Africas Natural Resources Despite Africas reputation as the poorest country in the world, the continent is replete with natural resources. Sources of oil, gas, and valuable ores are abundant and must be utilized for the benefit of the African people. Currently, the exploitation of Africas natural resources has only contributed to a regression of democratic rights and furthering of poverty, as the money earned from exports too often finds its way into the wrong hands. China has played a huge role in this process, as Chinas economic influence in Africa has skyrocketed in recent years.

 Chinas economic influence has been linked to the slowing and declining of democracy in Africa.15 This is largely because China tends to follow a non- interference policy, in which it refuses to get involved with internal conflicts occurring in the countries that it does business with.16 This means that China has often ignored human-rights injustices, corruption, and other social problems.17 John Harbeson, former USAID official stated, It is apparent to me that the Chinese are indifferent to democratization. [] At best they may be helping African leaders to thumb their noses at the whole architecture of Western human rights and democracy norms.17 One notable example of this occurred when China made a deal with Angola, providing Angola with a $2 billion loan for the promise 10,000 barrels of oil per day.17 According to Karen Foerstel of CQ Global Researcher, this deal [] allowed Angola to avoid good-governance conditions demanded by the IMF before it would provide aid. Shortly after the loan was granted, Transparency International ranked Angola as one of the worlds most corrupt nations.18 Furthermore, Chinas non-interference policy is damaging because the money that African countries earn from these business deals often never benefit the people, as was the case with Equatorial Guineas Obiang, who shipped tens of millions of dollars to bank accounts overseas.19 Even more appalling is that U.S. Source: CQ Global Researcher oil companies, including Exxon Mobil and Hess, continue http://library.cqpress.com/globalresearcher/d ocument.php?id=cqrglobal2011021500&type= to do business with Obiangs government. hitlist&num=1 Conducting business with dictators who have no regard for human rights and democratic values has clear negative implications. Thus, the U.S. government should Implement policy that restricts U.S. oil companies from conducting business with African governments who do not support democratic values Push the U.N. to restrict Chinas businesses practices, preventing them from providing money to authoritarian governments Invest and conduct business with African governments only under the condition that they build, maintain, and uphold democratic values

These policy suggestions should help curb the decline of democracy in countries where natural resources have previously been exploited for non-democratic agendas. 2. Promoting Grass-Roots Civic Engagement Programs In order to advance the transition to democratic governance in Africa, as well as minimize the chances of regression, each African country must engage all its relevant stakeholder groups in state reconstruction through democratic (i.e., bottom-up, participatory, inclusive and people-driven) constitution making to produce institutional arrangements that adequately constrain civil servants and political elites, enhance the ability of each country's diverse population groups to coexist peacefully, and create economic and political environments that maximize entrepreneurial activities and the creation of wealth. - John Mukum Mbaku, presidential distinguished professor of economics.20 This, in essence, is what Counterpart International, a global development organization, has done with its development programs in Chad and Cameroon. With each of these successful programs, Counterpart International worked to improve, support, and build the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs). Through these programs, CSOs in Chad and Cameroon were able to better communicate the needs and interests of citizens.21 The program in Cameroon was also designed to help the CSOs become more self-sufficient, as emphasis was placed on civic education, training, and technical assistance, and was supported by grants which enabled CSOs to function independently.22 These kinds of programs are valuable for democracy building because they enable governments to function independently. Supporting civil societies from a grassroots level while providing citizens with civic training goes a long way towards building stable democracies. USAID also details several goals for promoting democracy, human rights, and governance. From their website, We are focused on: Supporting more legitimate, inclusive and effective governments, so that they are responsive to the needs of their people, helping countries transition to democracy and strengthen democratic institutions, capitalizing on critical moments to expand freedom and opportunity, promoting inclusive development, so that women, minorities and vulnerable populations benefit from growth, opportunity and the expansion of rights.23 Building upon the success of Counterpart International and USAID, the U.S. should: Fund education programs that teach democratic and civic values Continue to provide training and assistance to CSOs to promote self-sustaining democracy Promote civic engagement from the grass-roots level by helping CSOs and citizens advocate for their needs, beliefs, and rights. 5

 These policy suggestions should help build democracy from its roots in countries lacking democratic governments and should help curb the decline of democracy in countries where authoritarianism is on the rise. 3. Wisely Disbursing Aid to Africans in Need In the past, China has offered hefty loans to countries with dictators, enabling them to ignore international calls for government reform.24 This practice must not be allowed. Aid must be: Offered to countries under the condition that the money will be used to promote good governance practices Distributed in a manner that ensures it finds its way directly to organizations supporting democratic values Used for the sole purposes of reducing poverty, supporting infrastructure, and promoting governance. Summary In the 1990s, it appeared as though democracy was beginning to take hold in Africa. Sadly, many of the democratic values that were once held in high regard have begun to fall at the hands of authoritarian regimes. This declining trend of democracy has been connected to stunningly high rates of poverty and frightening human rights abuses. Many of the supposedly democratic African leaders have rigged elections, which has led to widespread violence at the election polls. Highlighting the need to halt the rising trend of authoritarianism taking the place of democracy, Davis Shinn, former U.S. ambassador to Burkina Faso Ethiopia, stated: Authoritarianism begets more authoritarianism. At some point, there is a breaking point unless there is movement, even slow movement, toward increasing participation of the people in government.25 In order to democratize Africa in a self-sustaining manner, the United States must implement a tri-fold policy designed to build democracy from its roots. First, the United States must harness the wealth of natural resources present in African land while stymieing both American and Chinese business deals in countries with authoritarian governments. Second, democracy must be promoted on a grassroots level. Ghana and Botswana, two of the most successful democracies in Africa, should be used as models for this kind of democracy-building. Furthermore, Counterpart International and USAID have both implemented development policies that focus on building democracy from a grassroots level. These policies should be used as models for future programming. Third, the United States must wisely disburse aid to those in need. Offering aid to African countries under the condition that the money will be used to promote good governance should go a long way towards building successful democratic governments, while at the same time helping impoverished Africans get back on their feet. With these policies, there is hope for a prosperous, free, and democratic Africa. 6

Endotes
1 CQ Global Researcher, Democracy in Africa, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1995032400&type=hitlist&num=27 (March 24, 1995). 2 CNN, Africas Rocky Road to Democracy, http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/01/opinion/africa- democracy-mbaku (March 1, 2013). 3 The Economist, A Glass Half Full, http://www.economist.com/node/21551494 (March 31, 2012) 4 http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/01/opinion/africa-democracy-mbaku 5 Ibid 6 http://www.economist.com/node/21551494 7 Ibid 8 Ibid 9 Ibid 10 Ibid 11 CQ Global Researcher, Sub-Saharan Democracy, http://library.cqpress.com/globalresearcher/document.php?id=cqrglobal2011021500&type=hitlist&nu m=1 (February 15, 2011). 12 Ibid 13 Ibid 14 Ibid 15 Ibid 16 CQ Global Researcher, China in Africa, http://library.cqpress.com/globalresearcher/document.php?id=cqrglobal2008010000&type=hitlist&nu m=2 (January, 2008). 17http://library.cqpress.com/globalresearcher/document.php?id=cqrglobal2011021500&type=hitlist&n um=1 18 Ibid 19http://library.cqpress.com/globalresearcher/document.php?id=cqrglobal2008010000&type=hitlist&n um=2

20 http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/01/opinion/africa-democracy-mbaku 21 Counterpart International, Promoting Elections, Accountability and Civic Engagement in Chad, http://www.counterpart.org/our-work/projects/peace-in-chad) 22 Counterpart International, Strengthening Civic Engagement in Cameroon, http://www.counterpart.org/our-work/projects/sce 23 United States Agency for International Development, Democracy Human Rights and Governance, http://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/democracy-human-rights-and-governance, (February 27, 2013). 24http://library.cqpress.com/globalresearcher/document.php?id=cqrglobal2011021500&type=hitlist&n um=1 25 Ibid