Upcoming Elections
Mali Parliamentary – Due June 2019 (postponed indefinitely) and Regional and Local – Due November 2019 (delays likely)
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Semi-Presidential Republic
Preparations for the upcoming elections, which have been delayed multiple times, are happening in the context of insurgency and widespread intercommunal violence. It is one of the deadliest missions for UN peacekeepers. In 2018, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (often referred to as IBK) won second term amid allegations of fraud and instances of violence. Islamist groups killed at least three election workers, burned polling stations, and intimidated voters. Regional elections were originally scheduled for December 2017 but have been delayed due to objections by insurgents. Legislative elections were originally scheduled for October 2018, and then delayed to June 2019, and now are delayed indefinitely.
Molly Ariotti, Washington Post’s Monkey Cage: “Mali’s government collapsed. Here’s what that tells us about parliamentary coalitions in Africa. Our findings will surprise many who follow African politics.”
Reuters: “Bodies recovered from a massacre of almost 100 people by a Malian ethnic militia included at least 24 children, many of them shot in the back, the prime minister said during a visit to the crime scene on Tuesday.”
Susanna D. Wing, Washington Post’s Monkey Cage: “What’s behind the escalating ethnic violence in Mali? Here’s what you need to know.”
Mauritania Presidential – June 22, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Not Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Mauritania’s incumbent president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, came to power in a military coup in 2009 and the country is rated “not free” by Freedom House, but some hope that political space could be opening up, albeit slowly. While most believe that the ruling Union for the Republic party’s candidate, Defense Minister Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, will win, opposition candidates are participating (in contrast to the 2014 presidential election, which they boycotted), although they have expressed concerns about the electoral process and the lack of international observers.
Viviane Forson, Le Point: Interview with Biram Dah Abeid, human rights activist running for president on a platform of abolishing slavery (in French).
Radio France International: “Civil society election observers prepare”
Namibia Presidential and Legislative – November 27, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Namibia is a free, stable democracy. Since independence from South Africa in 1990, Namibian politics have been dominated by the socialist SWAPO, an independence movement-turned-political party. In the 2014 elections, judged free, fair, and credible by observers, SWAPO’s presidential candidate, Hage Geingob, won 87 percent of the vote. The party also won 80 percent of votes in the legislative elections. The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts that SWAPO will win the 2019 elections but its majority will decrease.
Sakeus Iikela, The Namibian: “The Namibia National Labour Organisation’s leader Evilastus Kaaronda has declared his intention to contest for president in the national elections slated for November….The unionist is the second Namibian to express an intention to run for the country’s top job after Swapo member Panduleni Itula said he would contest for the position as an independent.”
Sakeus Iikela, The Namibian: “SWAPO secretary general Sophia Shaningwa has threatened to expel politicians who intend standing as independent candidates in this year’s national elections. Shaningwa also threatened to boot out party members who help independent candidates ‘in whatever form.’”
Namibia held a by-election in Ondangwa Urban on June 15. The Swapo candidate only got 51 percent of the vote, down from 92 percent in 2015. Another by-election, in Oshakati East, will happen on August 24.
Guinea-Bissau Presidential – November 3, 2019 (following long-delayed legislative elections that finally happened on March 10, 2019)
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Semi-Presidential Republic
In March 2019, Guinea-Bissau finally held long-delayed legislative elections. Guinea-Bissau is prone to coups, most recently in 2012, and no elected leader has served a full term since independence from Portugal. The country remains in a political crisis. Sometimes dubbed “the world’s first narco-state,” it risks once again becoming a hub for drug traffickers.
APA News: “Guinea-Bissau’s President José Mário Vaz, this Friday met with the leaders of political parties represented at the National Assembly to have their support for his decision to appoint a new Prime Minister, three months after the parliamentary elections won by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC).”
Burundi Presidential and Legislative – Expected July 2020
Freedom House Rating: Not Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
In 2015, President Pierre Nkurunziza ran for a third term, which critics said was unconstitutional. Nkurunziza’s decision sparked a political crisis. The opposition boycotted the election. Nkurunziza won, but the election was marred by violence and a coup attempt. In 2018, Nkurunziza said he would step down in 2020. Burundi’s 12-year civil war ended in 2005, but violence and authoritarianism have been on the rise. Many Burundians are nervous about the upcoming polls.
UN News: “Ahead of 2020 elections, situation in Burundi shows encouraging signs but remains fragile. A UN Security Council meeting on the security and political situation in Burundi was held on Friday [June 14], as the country continues to grapple with a four-year-long crisis and is gearing up for new elections in 2020.”
The Security Council was divided, with democracies generally in favor of continued engagement on Burundi and authoritarian countries generally in favor of removing Burundi from the Security Council agenda.
David Clay, UK Deputy Political Coordinator to the UN, at the Security Council Briefing: “since our last meeting there has been no progress to securing a solution to the political crisis which can enjoy the support of all Burundian parties ahead of the elections. We regret in particular the lack of progress in the inter-Burundian dialogue set out by Commissioner Chergui today. If the political situation is not resolved, there remains a real risk of violence, human rights violations and an escalating humanitarian crisis, which threatens peace and stability within Burundi and the region.”
Human Rights Watch: ”Burundi: Rampant Abuses Against Opposition: UN Security Council Should Increase Scrutiny, Impose Targeted Sanctions”
Uganda General – February 2021
Freedom House Rating: Not Free (downgraded from Partly Free this year) – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Bwesigye Bwa Mwesigire, Isaac Ssemakadde, Kuukuwa Manful, Margaret Namulyanga, Africa Is A Country: “In Uganda, posting a poem about Museveni gets you jailed. The charge is ‘misusing a computer.’ Dr. Stella Nyanzi remains incarcerated to this day in Luzira Women’s Prison.”
Sudan Ongoing Crisis
Freedom House Rating: Not Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
In April, nonviolent demonstrations ousted Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir. Last week, around the 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Square, Sudanese troops massacred citizens protesting the regime.
Michelle Gavin, Council on Foreign Relations: “Sudanese Opposition Needs Stronger International Support”
George Clooney and John Prendergast, Politico: “How Congress Can Help Stop the Killing in Sudan: The U.S. has tools to combat corruption and human rights abuses in Sudan. It’s time to use them.”
Richard Downie, World Politics Review: “Can Sudan’s Revolution Be Saved?”
Hiba Morgan, Al Jazeera: “Khartoum sit-in may be gone, but its dream of a democratic Sudan remains. Protest camp in Khartoum may be gone, but it will always be the place that brought together people who dared to think of a different Sudan.”
Zeinab Mohammed Salih, BBC: “Letter from Africa: ‘Sudan’s revolutionaries offline but not silenced’”
Tanzania, Zanzibar Regional
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region within Tanzania.
International Crisis Group: “Averting Violence in Zanzibar’s Knife-edge Election. Next year’s elections in Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous Tanzanian archipelago, will be hard fought. With the ruling party changing the rules in its favour, they could turn violent.”
Past Elections
Madagascar Parliamentary – May 27, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Semi-Presidential Republic
Madagascar’s parliamentary elections came on the heels of a hotly-contested and turbulent presidential election between President Andry Rajoelina and his arch-nemesis Marc Ravalomanana, which was followed by protests.
AFP: “Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina’s coalition has won an absolute majority in the new parliament, according to provisional results published Saturday by the country’s electoral commission (CENI), although the opposition is crying foul.”
Luke Harding, The Guardian: “In spring 2018 a group of foreigners flew to Madagascar. They had not come to see the island’s lemurs or wildlife. The visitors were undercover Russian political consultants.”
Malawi Tripartite (Presidential, Legislative, Local) – May 21, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Eliott Waldman, World Politics Review: “President Peter Mutharika was sworn in for a second term in Malawi late last month, but opposition protesters are challenging the legitimacy of his recent reelection, based on widespread allegations of vote-rigging. Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, has been rocked over the past two weeks by steady protests that have included demonstrators storming government buildings to demand that opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera, who finished a close second in the election, be sworn in as president instead.”
Benin Parliamentary – April 28, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Benin was previously a model democracy in the region, but the April 2019 parliamentary elections changed that. Opposition candidates were barred from running, and security forces opened fire on protesters.
AFP: “Benin security forces killed two protesters Saturday in the city of Save while breaking up a demonstration by people who erected barricades and blocked the national road for days, the mayor said. This followed days of demonstrations over controversial April 28 parliamentary elections in the West African country.”
Virgile Ahissou, Bloomberg: Virgile Ahissou, Bloomberg: “Benin has placed former President Thomas Boni Yayi under virtual house arrest following his support for protests against controversial legislative elections in April, according to his lawyers.”
AfricaNews: “Video: Benin’s ex-president warns post-election unrest could plunge country into conflict”
Nigeria General – February 23, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Party Free Government Type: Federal Presidential Republic
AFP: “European Union election observers on Saturday called on Nigeria to consider urgent electoral reforms after identifying ‘systemic failings’ in the recent presidential, parliamentary and governorship elections. The EU mission, which was in Nigeria between January and April, said the elections were marred by serious operational and transparency shortcomings, electoral security problems and low turnout.”
Democratic Republic of the Congo General – December 31, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Not Free – Government Type: Semi-Presidential Republic
In addition to the political turmoil, the DRC faces the world’s second-deadliest outbreak of Ebola, with almost 1,500 deaths.
William Clowes, Bloomberg: “Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila strengthened his grip on the nation’s parliament after the Constitutional Court disqualified more than 20 opposition lawmakers.”
Africa This Week – June 17, 2019
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Last Updated: June 26, 2019 by 21votes
June 17, 2019
Each day, 21votes gathers election and political news from a different region of the world. We explore Africa on Mondays. Click the map pins.
Mali Parliamentary - Due June 2019 (postponed indefinitely) and Regional and Local - Due November 2019 (delays likely)
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Semi-Presidential Republic
Preparations for the upcoming elections, which have been delayed multiple times, are happening in the context of insurgency and widespread intercommunal violence. It is one of the deadliest missions for UN peacekeepers. In 2018, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (often referred to as IBK) won second term amid allegations of fraud and instances of violence. Islamist groups killed at least three election workers, burned polling stations, and intimidated voters. Regional elections were originally scheduled for December 2017 but have been delayed due to objections by insurgents. Legislative elections were originally scheduled for October 2018, and then delayed to June 2019, and now are delayed indefinitely.
Molly Ariotti, Washington Post’s Monkey Cage: “Mali’s government collapsed. Here’s what that tells us about parliamentary coalitions in Africa. Our findings will surprise many who follow African politics.”
Reuters: “Bodies recovered from a massacre of almost 100 people by a Malian ethnic militia included at least 24 children, many of them shot in the back, the prime minister said during a visit to the crime scene on Tuesday.”
Susanna D. Wing, Washington Post’s Monkey Cage: “What’s behind the escalating ethnic violence in Mali? Here’s what you need to know.”
Mauritania Presidential - June 22, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Not Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Mauritania’s incumbent president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, came to power in a military coup in 2009 and the country is rated “not free” by Freedom House, but some hope that political space could be opening up, albeit slowly. While most believe that the ruling Union for the Republic party’s candidate, Defense Minister Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, will win, opposition candidates are participating (in contrast to the 2014 presidential election, which they boycotted), although they have expressed concerns about the electoral process and the lack of international observers.
Viviane Forson, Le Point: Interview with Biram Dah Abeid, human rights activist running for president on a platform of abolishing slavery (in French).
Radio France International: “Civil society election observers prepare”
Namibia Presidential and Legislative - November 27, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Namibia is a free, stable democracy. Since independence from South Africa in 1990, Namibian politics have been dominated by the socialist SWAPO, an independence movement-turned-political party. In the 2014 elections, judged free, fair, and credible by observers, SWAPO’s presidential candidate, Hage Geingob, won 87 percent of the vote. The party also won 80 percent of votes in the legislative elections. The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts that SWAPO will win the 2019 elections but its majority will decrease.
Sakeus Iikela, The Namibian: “The Namibia National Labour Organisation’s leader Evilastus Kaaronda has declared his intention to contest for president in the national elections slated for November….The unionist is the second Namibian to express an intention to run for the country’s top job after Swapo member Panduleni Itula said he would contest for the position as an independent.”
Sakeus Iikela, The Namibian: “SWAPO secretary general Sophia Shaningwa has threatened to expel politicians who intend standing as independent candidates in this year’s national elections. Shaningwa also threatened to boot out party members who help independent candidates ‘in whatever form.’”
Namibia held a by-election in Ondangwa Urban on June 15. The Swapo candidate only got 51 percent of the vote, down from 92 percent in 2015. Another by-election, in Oshakati East, will happen on August 24.
Guinea-Bissau Presidential - November 3, 2019 (following long-delayed legislative elections that finally happened on March 10, 2019)
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Semi-Presidential Republic
In March 2019, Guinea-Bissau finally held long-delayed legislative elections. Guinea-Bissau is prone to coups, most recently in 2012, and no elected leader has served a full term since independence from Portugal. The country remains in a political crisis. Sometimes dubbed “the world’s first narco-state,” it risks once again becoming a hub for drug traffickers.
APA News: “Guinea-Bissau’s President José Mário Vaz, this Friday met with the leaders of political parties represented at the National Assembly to have their support for his decision to appoint a new Prime Minister, three months after the parliamentary elections won by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC).”
Burundi Presidential and Legislative - Expected July 2020
Freedom House Rating: Not Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
In 2015, President Pierre Nkurunziza ran for a third term, which critics said was unconstitutional. Nkurunziza’s decision sparked a political crisis. The opposition boycotted the election. Nkurunziza won, but the election was marred by violence and a coup attempt. In 2018, Nkurunziza said he would step down in 2020. Burundi’s 12-year civil war ended in 2005, but violence and authoritarianism have been on the rise. Many Burundians are nervous about the upcoming polls.
UN News: “Ahead of 2020 elections, situation in Burundi shows encouraging signs but remains fragile. A UN Security Council meeting on the security and political situation in Burundi was held on Friday [June 14], as the country continues to grapple with a four-year-long crisis and is gearing up for new elections in 2020.”
The Security Council was divided, with democracies generally in favor of continued engagement on Burundi and authoritarian countries generally in favor of removing Burundi from the Security Council agenda.
David Clay, UK Deputy Political Coordinator to the UN, at the Security Council Briefing: “since our last meeting there has been no progress to securing a solution to the political crisis which can enjoy the support of all Burundian parties ahead of the elections. We regret in particular the lack of progress in the inter-Burundian dialogue set out by Commissioner Chergui today. If the political situation is not resolved, there remains a real risk of violence, human rights violations and an escalating humanitarian crisis, which threatens peace and stability within Burundi and the region.”
Human Rights Watch: ”Burundi: Rampant Abuses Against Opposition: UN Security Council Should Increase Scrutiny, Impose Targeted Sanctions”
Uganda General - February 2021
Freedom House Rating: Not Free (downgraded from Partly Free this year) – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Bwesigye Bwa Mwesigire, Isaac Ssemakadde, Kuukuwa Manful, Margaret Namulyanga, Africa Is A Country: “In Uganda, posting a poem about Museveni gets you jailed. The charge is ‘misusing a computer.’ Dr. Stella Nyanzi remains incarcerated to this day in Luzira Women’s Prison.”
Sudan Ongoing Crisis
Freedom House Rating: Not Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
In April, nonviolent demonstrations ousted Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir. This month, around the 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Square, Sudanese troops massacred citizens protesting the regime.
Michelle Gavin, Council on Foreign Relations: “Sudanese Opposition Needs Stronger International Support”
George Clooney and John Prendergast, Politico: “How Congress Can Help Stop the Killing in Sudan: The U.S. has tools to combat corruption and human rights abuses in Sudan. It’s time to use them.”
Richard Downie, World Politics Review: “Can Sudan’s Revolution Be Saved?”
Hiba Morgan, Al Jazeera: “Khartoum sit-in may be gone, but its dream of a democratic Sudan remains. Protest camp in Khartoum may be gone, but it will always be the place that brought together people who dared to think of a different Sudan.”
Zeinab Mohammed Salih, BBC: “Letter from Africa: ‘Sudan’s revolutionaries offline but not silenced’”
Tanzania, Zanzibar Regional - 2020
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region within Tanzania.
International Crisis Group: “Averting Violence in Zanzibar’s Knife-edge Election. Next year’s elections in Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous Tanzanian archipelago, will be hard fought. With the ruling party changing the rules in its favour, they could turn violent.”
Madagascar Parliamentary - May 27, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Semi-Presidential Republic
Madagascar’s parliamentary elections came on the heels of a hotly-contested and turbulent presidential election between President Andry Rajoelina and his arch-nemesis Marc Ravalomanana, which was followed by protests.
AFP: “Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina’s coalition has won an absolute majority in the new parliament, according to provisional results published Saturday by the country’s electoral commission (CENI), although the opposition is crying foul.”
Luke Harding, The Guardian: “In spring 2018 a group of foreigners flew to Madagascar. They had not come to see the island’s lemurs or wildlife. The visitors were undercover Russian political consultants.”
Malawi Tripartite (Presidential, Legislative, Local) - May 21, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Eliott Waldman, World Politics Review: “President Peter Mutharika was sworn in for a second term in Malawi late last month, but opposition protesters are challenging the legitimacy of his recent reelection, based on widespread allegations of vote-rigging. Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, has been rocked over the past two weeks by steady protests that have included demonstrators storming government buildings to demand that opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera, who finished a close second in the election, be sworn in as president instead.”
Nigeria General - February 23, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Party Free Government Type: Federal Presidential Republic
AFP: “European Union election observers on Saturday called on Nigeria to consider urgent electoral reforms after identifying ‘systemic failings’ in the recent presidential, parliamentary and governorship elections. The EU mission, which was in Nigeria between January and April, said the elections were marred by serious operational and transparency shortcomings, electoral security problems and low turnout.”
Benin Parliamentary - April 28, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Benin was previously a model democracy in the region, but the April 2019 parliamentary elections changed that. Opposition candidates were barred from running, and security forces opened fire on protesters.
AFP: “Benin security forces killed two protesters Saturday in the city of Save while breaking up a demonstration by people who erected barricades and blocked the national road for days, the mayor said. This followed days of demonstrations over controversial April 28 parliamentary elections in the West African country.”
Virgile Ahissou, Bloomberg: Virgile Ahissou, Bloomberg: “Benin has placed former President Thomas Boni Yayi under virtual house arrest following his support for protests against controversial legislative elections in April, according to his lawyers.”
AfricaNews: “Video: Benin’s ex-president warns post-election unrest could plunge country into conflict”
Democratic Republic of the Congo General - December 31, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Not Free – Government Type: Semi-Presidential Republic
In addition to the political turmoil, the DRC faces the world’s second-deadliest outbreak of Ebola, with almost 1,500 deaths.
William Clowes, Bloomberg: “Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila strengthened his grip on the nation’s parliament after the Constitutional Court disqualified more than 20 opposition lawmakers.”
Upcoming Elections
Mali Parliamentary – Due June 2019 (postponed indefinitely) and Regional and Local – Due November 2019 (delays likely)
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Semi-Presidential Republic
Preparations for the upcoming elections, which have been delayed multiple times, are happening in the context of insurgency and widespread intercommunal violence. It is one of the deadliest missions for UN peacekeepers. In 2018, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (often referred to as IBK) won second term amid allegations of fraud and instances of violence. Islamist groups killed at least three election workers, burned polling stations, and intimidated voters. Regional elections were originally scheduled for December 2017 but have been delayed due to objections by insurgents. Legislative elections were originally scheduled for October 2018, and then delayed to June 2019, and now are delayed indefinitely.
Molly Ariotti, Washington Post’s Monkey Cage: “Mali’s government collapsed. Here’s what that tells us about parliamentary coalitions in Africa. Our findings will surprise many who follow African politics.”
Reuters: “Bodies recovered from a massacre of almost 100 people by a Malian ethnic militia included at least 24 children, many of them shot in the back, the prime minister said during a visit to the crime scene on Tuesday.”
Susanna D. Wing, Washington Post’s Monkey Cage: “What’s behind the escalating ethnic violence in Mali? Here’s what you need to know.”
Mauritania Presidential – June 22, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Not Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Mauritania’s incumbent president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, came to power in a military coup in 2009 and the country is rated “not free” by Freedom House, but some hope that political space could be opening up, albeit slowly. While most believe that the ruling Union for the Republic party’s candidate, Defense Minister Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, will win, opposition candidates are participating (in contrast to the 2014 presidential election, which they boycotted), although they have expressed concerns about the electoral process and the lack of international observers.
Viviane Forson, Le Point: Interview with Biram Dah Abeid, human rights activist running for president on a platform of abolishing slavery (in French).
Radio France International: “Civil society election observers prepare”
Namibia Presidential and Legislative – November 27, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Namibia is a free, stable democracy. Since independence from South Africa in 1990, Namibian politics have been dominated by the socialist SWAPO, an independence movement-turned-political party. In the 2014 elections, judged free, fair, and credible by observers, SWAPO’s presidential candidate, Hage Geingob, won 87 percent of the vote. The party also won 80 percent of votes in the legislative elections. The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts that SWAPO will win the 2019 elections but its majority will decrease.
Sakeus Iikela, The Namibian: “The Namibia National Labour Organisation’s leader Evilastus Kaaronda has declared his intention to contest for president in the national elections slated for November….The unionist is the second Namibian to express an intention to run for the country’s top job after Swapo member Panduleni Itula said he would contest for the position as an independent.”
Sakeus Iikela, The Namibian: “SWAPO secretary general Sophia Shaningwa has threatened to expel politicians who intend standing as independent candidates in this year’s national elections. Shaningwa also threatened to boot out party members who help independent candidates ‘in whatever form.’”
Namibia held a by-election in Ondangwa Urban on June 15. The Swapo candidate only got 51 percent of the vote, down from 92 percent in 2015. Another by-election, in Oshakati East, will happen on August 24.
Guinea-Bissau Presidential – November 3, 2019 (following long-delayed legislative elections that finally happened on March 10, 2019)
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Semi-Presidential Republic
In March 2019, Guinea-Bissau finally held long-delayed legislative elections. Guinea-Bissau is prone to coups, most recently in 2012, and no elected leader has served a full term since independence from Portugal. The country remains in a political crisis. Sometimes dubbed “the world’s first narco-state,” it risks once again becoming a hub for drug traffickers.
APA News: “Guinea-Bissau’s President José Mário Vaz, this Friday met with the leaders of political parties represented at the National Assembly to have their support for his decision to appoint a new Prime Minister, three months after the parliamentary elections won by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC).”
Burundi Presidential and Legislative – Expected July 2020
Freedom House Rating: Not Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
In 2015, President Pierre Nkurunziza ran for a third term, which critics said was unconstitutional. Nkurunziza’s decision sparked a political crisis. The opposition boycotted the election. Nkurunziza won, but the election was marred by violence and a coup attempt. In 2018, Nkurunziza said he would step down in 2020. Burundi’s 12-year civil war ended in 2005, but violence and authoritarianism have been on the rise. Many Burundians are nervous about the upcoming polls.
UN News: “Ahead of 2020 elections, situation in Burundi shows encouraging signs but remains fragile. A UN Security Council meeting on the security and political situation in Burundi was held on Friday [June 14], as the country continues to grapple with a four-year-long crisis and is gearing up for new elections in 2020.”
The Security Council was divided, with democracies generally in favor of continued engagement on Burundi and authoritarian countries generally in favor of removing Burundi from the Security Council agenda.
David Clay, UK Deputy Political Coordinator to the UN, at the Security Council Briefing: “since our last meeting there has been no progress to securing a solution to the political crisis which can enjoy the support of all Burundian parties ahead of the elections. We regret in particular the lack of progress in the inter-Burundian dialogue set out by Commissioner Chergui today. If the political situation is not resolved, there remains a real risk of violence, human rights violations and an escalating humanitarian crisis, which threatens peace and stability within Burundi and the region.”
Human Rights Watch: ”Burundi: Rampant Abuses Against Opposition: UN Security Council Should Increase Scrutiny, Impose Targeted Sanctions”
Uganda General – February 2021
Freedom House Rating: Not Free (downgraded from Partly Free this year) – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Bwesigye Bwa Mwesigire, Isaac Ssemakadde, Kuukuwa Manful, Margaret Namulyanga, Africa Is A Country: “In Uganda, posting a poem about Museveni gets you jailed. The charge is ‘misusing a computer.’ Dr. Stella Nyanzi remains incarcerated to this day in Luzira Women’s Prison.”
Sudan Ongoing Crisis
Freedom House Rating: Not Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
In April, nonviolent demonstrations ousted Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir. Last week, around the 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Square, Sudanese troops massacred citizens protesting the regime.
Michelle Gavin, Council on Foreign Relations: “Sudanese Opposition Needs Stronger International Support”
George Clooney and John Prendergast, Politico: “How Congress Can Help Stop the Killing in Sudan: The U.S. has tools to combat corruption and human rights abuses in Sudan. It’s time to use them.”
Richard Downie, World Politics Review: “Can Sudan’s Revolution Be Saved?”
Hiba Morgan, Al Jazeera: “Khartoum sit-in may be gone, but its dream of a democratic Sudan remains. Protest camp in Khartoum may be gone, but it will always be the place that brought together people who dared to think of a different Sudan.”
Zeinab Mohammed Salih, BBC: “Letter from Africa: ‘Sudan’s revolutionaries offline but not silenced’”
Tanzania, Zanzibar Regional
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region within Tanzania.
International Crisis Group: “Averting Violence in Zanzibar’s Knife-edge Election. Next year’s elections in Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous Tanzanian archipelago, will be hard fought. With the ruling party changing the rules in its favour, they could turn violent.”
Past Elections
Madagascar Parliamentary – May 27, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Semi-Presidential Republic
Madagascar’s parliamentary elections came on the heels of a hotly-contested and turbulent presidential election between President Andry Rajoelina and his arch-nemesis Marc Ravalomanana, which was followed by protests.
AFP: “Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina’s coalition has won an absolute majority in the new parliament, according to provisional results published Saturday by the country’s electoral commission (CENI), although the opposition is crying foul.”
Luke Harding, The Guardian: “In spring 2018 a group of foreigners flew to Madagascar. They had not come to see the island’s lemurs or wildlife. The visitors were undercover Russian political consultants.”
Malawi Tripartite (Presidential, Legislative, Local) – May 21, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Partly Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Eliott Waldman, World Politics Review: “President Peter Mutharika was sworn in for a second term in Malawi late last month, but opposition protesters are challenging the legitimacy of his recent reelection, based on widespread allegations of vote-rigging. Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, has been rocked over the past two weeks by steady protests that have included demonstrators storming government buildings to demand that opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera, who finished a close second in the election, be sworn in as president instead.”
Benin Parliamentary – April 28, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Free – Government Type: Presidential Republic
Benin was previously a model democracy in the region, but the April 2019 parliamentary elections changed that. Opposition candidates were barred from running, and security forces opened fire on protesters.
AFP: “Benin security forces killed two protesters Saturday in the city of Save while breaking up a demonstration by people who erected barricades and blocked the national road for days, the mayor said. This followed days of demonstrations over controversial April 28 parliamentary elections in the West African country.”
Virgile Ahissou, Bloomberg: Virgile Ahissou, Bloomberg: “Benin has placed former President Thomas Boni Yayi under virtual house arrest following his support for protests against controversial legislative elections in April, according to his lawyers.”
AfricaNews: “Video: Benin’s ex-president warns post-election unrest could plunge country into conflict”
Nigeria General – February 23, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Party Free Government Type: Federal Presidential Republic
AFP: “European Union election observers on Saturday called on Nigeria to consider urgent electoral reforms after identifying ‘systemic failings’ in the recent presidential, parliamentary and governorship elections. The EU mission, which was in Nigeria between January and April, said the elections were marred by serious operational and transparency shortcomings, electoral security problems and low turnout.”
Democratic Republic of the Congo General – December 31, 2019
Freedom House Rating: Not Free – Government Type: Semi-Presidential Republic
In addition to the political turmoil, the DRC faces the world’s second-deadliest outbreak of Ebola, with almost 1,500 deaths.
William Clowes, Bloomberg: “Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila strengthened his grip on the nation’s parliament after the Constitutional Court disqualified more than 20 opposition lawmakers.”
The Year Ahead: Africa
Guinea legislative (overdue – mandates of current legislators expired January 13 – date not set for new elections); Chad legislative (originally due in 2015 but have been delayed several times – unclear when they will. actually happen); Mauritania presidential (June 22); Togo local (June 30); Botswana parliamentary (October); Cameroon parliamentary (October); Mozambique presidential, legislative, provincial (October 15); Somalia, Somaliland congressional and local (November 1, 2019 – tentative); Guinea-Bissau presidential (November 3 – tentative); Namibia presidential and legislative (November 27); Mauritius legislative (December); Senegal local (December 1); Mali legislative (May 2020 – long overdue – additional delays possible)
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Category: This Week Tags: Benin, Burundi, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda