Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is a vast and incredibly diverse region with a population of roughly 800 million people living in 48 states. From 1990 to 2010, despite the great differences among regimes in the region, all but three (Eritrea, Somalia and Swaziland) held at least one election contested by more than one party (africanelections.tripod.com). This marks a significant shift, as prior decades saw only a small number of countries offering multiparty elections. ¹ Coups, once a widespread mechanism for changing power, have decreased dramatically since 1990. But the mere holding of elections is not an indicator of the triumph of democracy. Of the 45 states that have held multiparty elections, just more than one-third have held two consecutive, reasonably free and fair legislative and presidential elections in the last decade. ² These elections provide an easy indicator of a very basic requirement for democracy, but they neither signal democratic governance nor do they unilaterally create it. As states increasingly hold elections, incumbents are becoming more adept at employing subtle forms of manipulation that can be difficult to trace. Many ordinary citizens continue to perceive their governments as inaccessible and unresponsive to their enquiries, needs and demands.