April 26, 2021
Your weekly roundup of news and analysis of elections in Africa, usually posted on Mondays and occasionally updated throughout the week. For a full electoral calendar and interactive map, click here.
The tomb of Sheikh Isaaq, who founded the Isaaq clan, one of the major Somali clans, in the 12th century. The tomb is located in Maydh, Somaliland. Clans play a major role in the politics of both Somaliland and Somalia. Somaliland holds long-delayed parliamentary and local elections on May 31. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Abdul Warfa (Public Domain)
Upcoming Africa Elections
Somaliland Parliamentary and Local Elections: May 31, 2021
Somaliland has scheduled its long-overdue parliamentary and local elections for May 31, 2021. Somaliland has de facto but not internationally-recognized independence from Somalia, and has a much more developed democracy, with direct elections. More
MENAFN – SomTribune (April 24, 2021): Somaliland Electoral Commission Releases List of Local Councils Candidates
Ethiopia General Elections: June 5, 2021
Ethiopia has scheduled general elections for June 5, 2021, after several postponements. These elections are taking place in the context of increasing ethnic violence that has reached crisis levels. More
Robbie Gramer, Foreign Policy (April 26, 2021): U.S. Africa Envoy: Ethiopia Crisis Could Make Syria Look Like ‘Child’s Play’
Al Jazeera (April 25, 2021): Death toll from clashes in Ethiopia’s Amhara may be 200: Official
Martin Plaut, RUSI (April 23, 2021): The International Community Struggles to Address the Ethiopian Conflict
Conor Finnegan, ABC News (April 20, 2021): US raising alarm over ‘deteriorating’ humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray region
Benjamin Fox, Euractiv (April 20, 2021): EU set to send election observers to Ethiopia despite Tigray conflict
Kenya Constitutional Referendum: June 2021, followed by General Elections: August 9, 2022
Kenya is due to hold general elections on August 9, 2022. The last elections, in August 2017, were disputed, and the presidential poll was re-run in October 2017. President Uhuru Kenyatta won re-election after opposition leader Raila Odinga encouraged his supporters to boycott the re-run. Kenyan politics is highly polarized with a strong ethnic component.
Patrick Gathara, Al Jazeera (April 25, 2021): Kenya’s satire is under threat
John Githongo, The Elephant (April 23, 2021): Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The Choices Facing Kenya and the Kenyattas
South Africa Local Elections: October 27, 2021
South Africa will hold local elections on October 27, 2021. Voters will elect councils for all municipalities in each of the country’s nine provinces. More
Reuters (April 22, 2021): South Africa to hold coronavirus delayed local elections in October
Lesotho General Election: September 2022
Mathabiso Ralengau, Bloomberg (April 23, 2021): Political Crisis Looms in Lesotho as Ruling Party Splits
Somalia Presidential Election: Postponed
Somalia was supposed to hold an indirect presidential election on February 8, 2021, following indirect parliamentary elections in December 2020. However, the elections have been delayed, and the term of President Mohamed “Farmaajo” has expired, leaving Somalia in a political and constitutional crisis. In April 2021, Farmaajo etendedd his term for two years.
While the United States and the EU threatened sanctions, some analysts believe that the delay could pave the way for direct elections. However, critics dismiss this idea as a ruse to justify Farmaajo’s extension of his term. More
Aggrey Mutambo, The East African (April 26, 2021): Amisom halts handover plan in Somalia as poll fuels clan politics
Declan Walsh and Hussein Mohamed, New York Times (April 25, 2021): Gunfire Erupts in Mogadishu as Somalia’s Political Feud Turns Violent
Abdi Ismail Samatar, The Conversation (April 23, 2021): Somalia’s toxic political and security order: the death knell of democracy
Past Africa Elections
Chad Presidential Election: April 11, 2020
Chad held a presidential election on April 11, 2021. President Idriss Déby, seized power in a rebellion in 1990, won a sixth term. However, on April 20, hours after being officially declared the winner of the latest election, he was killed by rebels.
Although the country holds elections, there has never been a change in power by a free or fair vote. Long-delayed long-delayed parliamentary elections had been set for October 24, 2021 and local elections for April 2022. Originally due in 2015, the legislative elections have been delayed multiple times. However, the military has said it plans to rule the country for 18 months, and it dissolved parliament and the civilian government. Some have said these moves effectively amount to a coup. More
Paul Taylor, Politico (April 27, 2021): In the Sahel, Macron faces his Afghanistan
Edward McAllister and Mahamat Ramadane, Reuters (April 26, 2021): Chad military refuses talks with rebels as opposition presses for civilian rule
BBC (April 24, 2021): Chad after Idriss Déby: African Union urges end to military rule
David Pilling, Financial Times (April 22, 2021): A warrior dynasty in Chad will do little to end Islamist threat
André Kodmadjingar and Jason Patinkin, Voice of America (April 21, 2021): Chad’s Interim President Faces Power Struggle
Ibtissem Guenfoud and Morgan Winsor, ABC News (April 20, 2021): Chad president dies in battle with rebel group, nation’s army says
Djibouti Presidential Election: April 9, 2021
Djibouti held a presidential election on April 9, 2021. Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, who has been president since 1999, won a fifth term amid opposition boycotts and protests. Under Guelleh, Djibouti (which is strategically located on the Bab-el-Mandeb chokepoint) has been pivoting toward China, although the U.S. and other democracies continue to have military bases there. More
Tsukasa Hadano, Nikkei Asia (April 27, 2021): China adds carrier pier to Djibouti base, extending Indian Ocean reach
John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes (April 21, 2021): China’s base in Africa now big enough to host aircraft carriers, AFRICOM boss says
Côte d’Ivoire Parliamentary Elections: March 6, 2021
Cote d’Ivoire held legislative elections on March 6, 2021, following the turbulent October 2020 presidential election, in which President Alasanne Ouattara sought and won a controversial third term. The opposition boycotted the presidential election. Protests followed, as well as arrests of opposition members. However, following discussions and the release of some opposition figures, the opposition participated in the legislative elections. More
Marwane Ben Yahmed, The Africa Report (April 26, 2021): Côte d’Ivoire: Bédié, Gbagbo, Ouattara… the endless dance
Uganda General Elections: January 14, 2021
Uganda held presidential and legislative elections on January 14, 2021. President Yoweri Museveni has held power since 1986, but this time faced possibly his biggest challenge yet in the form of 37-year-old pop star Bobi Wine. Following the elections, the government launched a brutal crackdown on the opposition. More
Jason Burke and Samuel Okiror, The Guardian (April 22, 2021): ‘It was a torture chamber’: Ugandans abducted in vicious crackdown
Burkina Faso Presidential and Parliamentary Elections: November 22, 2020
Burkina Faso held presidential and parliamentary elections on November 22, 2020, in the context of a growing security crisis as well as political uncertainty as the country’s democrats seek to consolidate the young, fragile democracy. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore won re-election. More
Aïssatou Diallo, The Africa Report (April 22, 2021): Can former president Compaoré’s trial help to reconcile Burkina Faso?
Tanzania General Elections: October 25, 2020
Tanzania held presidential and legislative elections on October 25, 2020 in the context of a crackdown on the opposition and growing authoritarianism. President John Magufuli, whose Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has been in power since 1961, won a second term, but the opposition said the elections were neither free nor fair. Opposition figures have been arrested, assaulted, and murdered.
However, in March 2021, Magufuli died of COVID-19. Samia Suluhu Hassan, who had been vice president, assumed the presidency – the first woman to hold that post. She has embarked on some reforms, particularly regarding Tanzania’s COVID-19 policy. More
Nic Cheeseman, Alitalali Amani, and Hilary Matfess, The Conversation (April 20, 2021): The roots of repression and the prospects for democracy in Tanzania
21votes does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the linked articles; rather, our goal is to curate a wide range of voices. Furthermore, none of the individuals or organizations referenced have reviewed 21votes’ content. That is to say, their inclusion should not be taken to imply that they endorse us in any way. More on our approach here.
Africa This Week: April 26, 2021
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Last Updated: May 5, 2021 by 21votes
April 26, 2021
Your weekly roundup of news and analysis of elections in Africa, usually posted on Mondays and occasionally updated throughout the week. For a full electoral calendar and interactive map, click here.
Upcoming Africa Elections
Somaliland Parliamentary and Local Elections: May 31, 2021
Somaliland has scheduled its long-overdue parliamentary and local elections for May 31, 2021. Somaliland has de facto but not internationally-recognized independence from Somalia, and has a much more developed democracy, with direct elections. More
MENAFN – SomTribune (April 24, 2021): Somaliland Electoral Commission Releases List of Local Councils Candidates
Ethiopia General Elections: June 5, 2021
Ethiopia has scheduled general elections for June 5, 2021, after several postponements. These elections are taking place in the context of increasing ethnic violence that has reached crisis levels. More
Robbie Gramer, Foreign Policy (April 26, 2021): U.S. Africa Envoy: Ethiopia Crisis Could Make Syria Look Like ‘Child’s Play’
Al Jazeera (April 25, 2021): Death toll from clashes in Ethiopia’s Amhara may be 200: Official
Martin Plaut, RUSI (April 23, 2021): The International Community Struggles to Address the Ethiopian Conflict
Conor Finnegan, ABC News (April 20, 2021): US raising alarm over ‘deteriorating’ humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray region
Benjamin Fox, Euractiv (April 20, 2021): EU set to send election observers to Ethiopia despite Tigray conflict
Kenya Constitutional Referendum: June 2021, followed by General Elections: August 9, 2022
Kenya is due to hold general elections on August 9, 2022. The last elections, in August 2017, were disputed, and the presidential poll was re-run in October 2017. President Uhuru Kenyatta won re-election after opposition leader Raila Odinga encouraged his supporters to boycott the re-run. Kenyan politics is highly polarized with a strong ethnic component.
Patrick Gathara, Al Jazeera (April 25, 2021): Kenya’s satire is under threat
John Githongo, The Elephant (April 23, 2021): Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The Choices Facing Kenya and the Kenyattas
South Africa Local Elections: October 27, 2021
South Africa will hold local elections on October 27, 2021. Voters will elect councils for all municipalities in each of the country’s nine provinces. More
Reuters (April 22, 2021): South Africa to hold coronavirus delayed local elections in October
Lesotho General Election: September 2022
Mathabiso Ralengau, Bloomberg (April 23, 2021): Political Crisis Looms in Lesotho as Ruling Party Splits
Somalia Presidential Election: Postponed
Somalia was supposed to hold an indirect presidential election on February 8, 2021, following indirect parliamentary elections in December 2020. However, the elections have been delayed, and the term of President Mohamed “Farmaajo” has expired, leaving Somalia in a political and constitutional crisis. In April 2021, Farmaajo etendedd his term for two years.
While the United States and the EU threatened sanctions, some analysts believe that the delay could pave the way for direct elections. However, critics dismiss this idea as a ruse to justify Farmaajo’s extension of his term. More
Aggrey Mutambo, The East African (April 26, 2021): Amisom halts handover plan in Somalia as poll fuels clan politics
Declan Walsh and Hussein Mohamed, New York Times (April 25, 2021): Gunfire Erupts in Mogadishu as Somalia’s Political Feud Turns Violent
Abdi Ismail Samatar, The Conversation (April 23, 2021): Somalia’s toxic political and security order: the death knell of democracy
Past Africa Elections
Chad Presidential Election: April 11, 2020
Chad held a presidential election on April 11, 2021. President Idriss Déby, seized power in a rebellion in 1990, won a sixth term. However, on April 20, hours after being officially declared the winner of the latest election, he was killed by rebels.
Although the country holds elections, there has never been a change in power by a free or fair vote. Long-delayed long-delayed parliamentary elections had been set for October 24, 2021 and local elections for April 2022. Originally due in 2015, the legislative elections have been delayed multiple times. However, the military has said it plans to rule the country for 18 months, and it dissolved parliament and the civilian government. Some have said these moves effectively amount to a coup. More
Paul Taylor, Politico (April 27, 2021): In the Sahel, Macron faces his Afghanistan
Edward McAllister and Mahamat Ramadane, Reuters (April 26, 2021): Chad military refuses talks with rebels as opposition presses for civilian rule
BBC (April 24, 2021): Chad after Idriss Déby: African Union urges end to military rule
David Pilling, Financial Times (April 22, 2021): A warrior dynasty in Chad will do little to end Islamist threat
André Kodmadjingar and Jason Patinkin, Voice of America (April 21, 2021): Chad’s Interim President Faces Power Struggle
Ibtissem Guenfoud and Morgan Winsor, ABC News (April 20, 2021): Chad president dies in battle with rebel group, nation’s army says
Djibouti Presidential Election: April 9, 2021
Djibouti held a presidential election on April 9, 2021. Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, who has been president since 1999, won a fifth term amid opposition boycotts and protests. Under Guelleh, Djibouti (which is strategically located on the Bab-el-Mandeb chokepoint) has been pivoting toward China, although the U.S. and other democracies continue to have military bases there. More
Tsukasa Hadano, Nikkei Asia (April 27, 2021): China adds carrier pier to Djibouti base, extending Indian Ocean reach
John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes (April 21, 2021): China’s base in Africa now big enough to host aircraft carriers, AFRICOM boss says
Côte d’Ivoire Parliamentary Elections: March 6, 2021
Cote d’Ivoire held legislative elections on March 6, 2021, following the turbulent October 2020 presidential election, in which President Alasanne Ouattara sought and won a controversial third term. The opposition boycotted the presidential election. Protests followed, as well as arrests of opposition members. However, following discussions and the release of some opposition figures, the opposition participated in the legislative elections. More
Marwane Ben Yahmed, The Africa Report (April 26, 2021): Côte d’Ivoire: Bédié, Gbagbo, Ouattara… the endless dance
Uganda General Elections: January 14, 2021
Uganda held presidential and legislative elections on January 14, 2021. President Yoweri Museveni has held power since 1986, but this time faced possibly his biggest challenge yet in the form of 37-year-old pop star Bobi Wine. Following the elections, the government launched a brutal crackdown on the opposition. More
Jason Burke and Samuel Okiror, The Guardian (April 22, 2021): ‘It was a torture chamber’: Ugandans abducted in vicious crackdown
Burkina Faso Presidential and Parliamentary Elections: November 22, 2020
Burkina Faso held presidential and parliamentary elections on November 22, 2020, in the context of a growing security crisis as well as political uncertainty as the country’s democrats seek to consolidate the young, fragile democracy. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore won re-election. More
Aïssatou Diallo, The Africa Report (April 22, 2021): Can former president Compaoré’s trial help to reconcile Burkina Faso?
Tanzania General Elections: October 25, 2020
Tanzania held presidential and legislative elections on October 25, 2020 in the context of a crackdown on the opposition and growing authoritarianism. President John Magufuli, whose Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has been in power since 1961, won a second term, but the opposition said the elections were neither free nor fair. Opposition figures have been arrested, assaulted, and murdered.
However, in March 2021, Magufuli died of COVID-19. Samia Suluhu Hassan, who had been vice president, assumed the presidency – the first woman to hold that post. She has embarked on some reforms, particularly regarding Tanzania’s COVID-19 policy. More
Nic Cheeseman, Alitalali Amani, and Hilary Matfess, The Conversation (April 20, 2021): The roots of repression and the prospects for democracy in Tanzania
21votes does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the linked articles; rather, our goal is to curate a wide range of voices. Furthermore, none of the individuals or organizations referenced have reviewed 21votes’ content. That is to say, their inclusion should not be taken to imply that they endorse us in any way. More on our approach here.
Category: This Week Tags: Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Somalia, Somaliland, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda