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Sahra-altı Afrika’da Demokratikleşme Sürecinin Kazanımları ve Zorlukları: Demokratik İlerleme Tehdit Altında mı?

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: 2, 147 - 170, 04.06.2025

Pelin Aliyev

Abstract

Bu araştırmanın amacı, Sahra Altı Afrika’daki demokratikleşme sürecinin kazanımlarını ve zorluklarını incelemek ve demokratik ilerlemenin tehdit altında olup olmadığı sorusuna cevap vermektir. Bölgesel ve tarihsel benzerliklere sahip ülkeler olan Burkina Faso, Mali ve Nijer’e odaklanan araştırma, bu ülkelerdeki demokratik gelişimin ortak dinamiklerini anlamaya çalışmaktadır. Araştırma, demokratikleşme süreçlerini analiz etmek için karşılaştırmalı bir çerçeve kullanmaktadır. Araştırmanın bulguları iki ana sonuca dikkat çekmektedir: Birincisi, üç ülke de seçmen katılımında önemli bir artış, demokrasiye ve seçim süreçlerine yönelik daha güçlü bir kamuoyu desteği ve tek adam ve tek parti yönetimine karşı önemli bir muhalefet deneyimlemiştir. İkincisi, demokratikleşme süreçleri sıklıkla askeri darbeler, liderlerin otoriter eğilimleri ve seçim şiddeti tarafından kesintiye uğramaktadır. Araştırma, kaydedilen önemli ilerlemeyi kabul ederken, siyasi kurumları ve süreçleri zayıflatmaya devam eden önemli zorlukların da devam ettiğini vurgulamaktadır. Bu zorluklar, bu üç ülkede demokratik yönetimin tam anlamıyla gerçekleşmesini engellemeye devam etmekte ve rejim değişimlerine yol açmaktadır.

Keywords

Demokratikleşme Sahra Altı Afrika Demokratik Geçiş Otoriterleşme Demokratik Gerileme

References

  • Adetula, V. AO. (2011). Measuring democracy and ‘good governance’ in Africa: A critique of assumptions and methods. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:946552/FULLTEXT01.pdf
  • Afrobarometer. (2023). https://afrobarometer.org (accessed 01 October 2021).
  • Aliyev, P. (2021). “Sahra-altı Afrika’da Demokratikleşme ve Seçim Şiddeti”, in 21. Yüzyılda Bölgesel Sorunlar, edited by Onur Limon, Ümran Güneş ve Servet Karagöz, 683-706. Ankara: Nobel Yayınevi.
  • Aron, R. (1968). Democracy and Totalitarianism. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
  • Beck, L. J. (1997). “Senegal's “patrimonial democrats”: incremental reform and the obstacles to the consolidation of democracy.” Canadian Journal of African Studies, 37(1), 1-31.
  • Beck, L. J. (2001). Reining in the marabouts? Democratization and local governance in Senegal. African Affairs, 700(401), 601-62
  • Bertocchi, G. & Canova, F. (2002). “Did colonization matter for growth?: An empirical exploration into the historical causes of Africa's underdevelopment,” European Economic Review, 46(10), 1851-1871.
  • Boone, C. (1998). “State building in the African countryside: structure and politics at the grassroots.” Journal of Development Studies, 34(4), 1-31.
  • Bratton, M. (1998). “Second elections in Africa.” Journal of Democracy, 9(3), 51-65. DOI: 10.1353/jod.1998.0041
  • Brown, S., & Kaiser, P. (2007). “Democratisations in Africa: Attempts, Hindrances and Prospects.” Third World Quarterly, 28(6), 1131–1149. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20454986
  • Chabal, P. (2002). “The Quest for Good Government and Development in Africa: Is NEPAD the Answer?.” International Affairs, 78(3), 447-462.
  • Chabal, P., & Daloz, J. P. (1999). Africa Works. Disorder as Political Instrument. Oxford: James Curry.
  • Crowder, M. (1987). “Whose Dream was It Anyway? Twenty-Five Years of African Independence.” African Affairs, 86(342), 7–24. http://www.jstor.org/stable/722863
  • Dahl, R. A. (1971). Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition. New Haven : Yale University Press.
  • Decalo, S. (1992). “The Process, Prospects and Constraints of Democratization in Africa.” African Affairs, 91(362), 7–35.
  • Ellis, S. (2000). “Elections in Africa in Historical Context.” Election observation and democratization in Africa, edited by Jon Abbink and Gerti Hesseling, 37-49.
  • European Parliament. (2021). “State of democracy in sub-Saharan Africa”, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2021/690647/EPRS_BRI(2021)690647_EN.pdf (accessed 10 June 2021).
  • Finkel, S. E., Pérez-Liñán, A., & Seligson, M. A. (2007). “The Effects of U.S. Foreign Assistance on Democracy Building, 1990-2003.” World Politics, 59(3), 404–438. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40060164
  • Fjelde, H., & Höglund, K. (2016). “Electoral Institutions and Electoral Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa.” British Journal of Political Science, 46(2), 297–320.
  • Gillies, D. (1996). Between Principle and Practice: Human Rights in North-South Relations, McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal.
  • Haynes, J. (2004). “Religion and democratization in Africa.” Democratization, 11(4), 66-89.
  • Helms, L. (2004).“Five Ways of Institutionalizing Political Opposition: Lessons from the Advanced Democracies
  • Hessebon, G. T. (2014). “The Fourth Constitution-Making Wave of Africa: Constitutions 4.0?” Temple International & Comparative Law Journal, 28(2), 185-214.
  • Höglund, K. (2009). “Electoral Violence in Conflict-Ridden Societies: Concepts, Causes, and Consequences.” Terrorism and Political Violence, 21(3), 412-427.
  • Ihonvbere, J. O. (1996). “Where Is the Third Wave? A Critical Evaluation of Africa’s Non-Transition to Democracy.” Africa Today, 43(4), 343–367. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4187120
  • Ihonvbere, J. O. (1997). “Democratization in Africa.” Peace Review, 9(3), 371-378.
  • Ihonvbere, J. O., & Mbaku, J. M. (2003). “Introduction: Establishing Generalities and Specificities in Africa’s Struggle for Democracy and Development.” In Political Liberalization and Democratization in Africa: Lessons from Country Experiences, edited by Julius Omozuanvbo Ihonvbere, John Mukum Mbaku, 1-16, London: Westport, Connectiut.
  • Ikome, F. N. (2007). “The nature and character of the post-colonial African state.” In GOOD COUPS AND BAD COUPS: The limits of the African Union’s injunction on unconstitutional changes of power in Africa (pp. 18–29). Institute for Global Dialogue. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep07759.7
  • International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. (2021). “Africa”. https://www.idea.int/data-tools/continent-view/Africa/40?st=par#rep (accessed 10 June 2021).
  • Jackson, R. H., & Rosberg, C. G. (1984). “Personal Rule: Theory and Practice in Africa.” Comparative Politics, 16(4), 421–442. https://doi.org/10.2307/421948
  • Joseph, R. (1997). “Democratization in Africa after 1989: Comparative and Theoretical Perspectives.” Comparative Politics, 29(3), 363–382. https://doi.org/10.2307/422126.
  • Legum, C. (1990). “The Coming of Africa's Second Independence.” The Washington Quarterly, 13(1), 129-140.
  • Lippmann, W. (1939). The Indispensable Opposition. Atlantic Monthly.
  • Lynch, G., & Crawford, G. (2011). “Democratization in Africa 1990–2010: an assessment.” Democratization, 18(2), 275-310.
  • Mamdani, M. (1996). Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvc77c7w
  • Manning, C. (2005). “Assessing African Party Systems after the Third Wave.” Party Politics, 11(6), 707–727. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068805057606
  • Matlosa, K., & Zounmenou, D. D. (2011). “The tension between militarisation and democratisation in West Africa: a comparative analysis of Niger and Guinea.” Journal of African elections, 10(2), 93-114.
  • Mbaku, J. M. (2020). “Threats to democracy in Africa: The rise of the constitutional coup” October 30, 2020, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2020/10/30/threats-to-democracy-in- africa-the-rise-of-the-constitutional-coup/ (accessed 10 June 2021).
  • Médard, J. F. (1991). “L’État néo-patrimonial en Afrique noire,” in MÉDARD J.-F., (dir.), États d’Afrique Noire : Formations, mécanismes et crises, Paris, Karthala.
  • Mizuno, N., & Okazawa, R. (2009). “Colonial Experience and Postcolonial Underdevelopment in Africa.” Public Choice, 141(3/4), 405–419. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40541886
  • Mulikita, N. M. (2003). “A False Dawn?” African Security Review, 12(4), 105-115.
  • Ndegwa, S. N. (2001). “A decade of democracy in Africa.” Journal of Asian and African Studies, 36(1), 1-16.
  • Nzongola-Ntalaja, G. (2006). “Democratic Transition in Africa.” The Constitution, 6(1), 1-19.
  • Nzouankeu, J. M. (1993). “The Role of the National Conference in the Transition to Democracy in Africa: The Cases of Benin and Mali.” A Journal of Opinion, 21(1/2), 44-50.
  • Oloo, A. G. R. (2007). The Contemporary Opposition in Kenya: Between Internal Traits and State Manipulation. Codesria, Dakar.
  • Popper, K. (1989). Açık Toplum ve Düşmanları. I. Cilt (M. Tuncay, Çev.). İstanbul: Remzi Kitabevi.
  • Prempeh, H. K. (2007). “Africa's “constitutionalism revival”: False start or new dawn?” International Journal of Constitutional Law, 5(3), 469–506.
  • Przeworski, A., Alvarez, M., Cheibub, J., & Limongi, F. (2000). Democracy and Development: Political Institutions and Well-Being in the World, 1950–1990 (Cambridge Studies in the Theory of Democracy). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511804946
  • Riley, S. (1992). “Africa’s “New Wind of Change””, The World Today, 48(7), 116–119.
  • Spitz, D. (1994). Antidemokratik Düşünce Şekilleri (translated by Şiar Yalçın). Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı Yayınları, İstanbul.
  • Teshome-Bahiru, W. (2008). “Democracy and Elections in Africa: Critical Analysis.” International Journal of Human Sciences, 5(2), 1-14.
  • Thomson, A. (2010). An Introduction to African Politics, Routledge, London & New York.
  • V-Dem Institute. (2023). Democracy Report 2023: Defiance in the Face of Autocratization. University of Gothenburg.
  • Wanjohi, N. G., & Ahmed, A. G. M. (2003). “Sustainability of Political Parties in Kenya.” In M. A. M. Salih (Ed.), African Political Parties: Evolution, Institutionalisation and Governance (pp. 239–256). Pluto Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt18fs78h.14
  • Wanyande, P. (1987). Democracy and the One-Party State: The African Experience. In Democratic Theory and Practice in Africa, edited by W. Oyugi and A. Gitonga, 71-85. Nairobi: Heinemann.
  • Wiseman, J. (1996). A., The New Struggle for Democracy in Africa. Aldershot: Avebury.
  • Wiseman, J. A. (1995). Democracy and Political Change in Sub-Saharan Africa. London: Routledge.
  • World Bank. (1989). Sub-Saharan From Crisis to Sustainable Growth. Washington, D. C.: The World Bank. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/498241468742846138/pdf/multi0page.pdf (accessed 10 June 2021).
  • Yoon, M. Y. (2001). “Democratization and Women's Legislative Representation in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Democratization, 8(2), 169-190.

Understanding the Gains and Challenges of Democratization Process in Sub-Saharan Africa: Is Democratic Progress Under Threat?

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: 2, 147 - 170, 04.06.2025

Pelin Aliyev

Abstract

The aim of this research is to examine the achievements and challenges of the democratization process in Sub-Saharan Africa and to answer whether democratic progress is under threat. Focusing on Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—countries with regional and historical similarities—the research seeks to understand the common dynamics of democratic development in these countries. The research employs a comparative framework to analyze their democratization processes. The findings of the research highlight two main conclusions: First, all the three countries have experienced a significant increase in voter participation, stronger public support for democracy and electoral processes and a notable opposition to one-man and one-party rule. Second, the democratization processes are frequently interrupted by military coups, authoritarian tendencies of leaders and electoral violence. While the research acknowledges the substantial progress made, it also emphasizes that significant challenges persist, which continues to weaken political institutions and processes. These challenges continue to hinder the full realization of democratic governance in these three countries and lead to regime changes.

Keywords

Democratization Sub-Saharan Africa Democratic Transition Authoritarianism Democratic Backsliding

References

  • Adetula, V. AO. (2011). Measuring democracy and ‘good governance’ in Africa: A critique of assumptions and methods. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:946552/FULLTEXT01.pdf
  • Afrobarometer. (2023). https://afrobarometer.org (accessed 01 October 2021).
  • Aliyev, P. (2021). “Sahra-altı Afrika’da Demokratikleşme ve Seçim Şiddeti”, in 21. Yüzyılda Bölgesel Sorunlar, edited by Onur Limon, Ümran Güneş ve Servet Karagöz, 683-706. Ankara: Nobel Yayınevi.
  • Aron, R. (1968). Democracy and Totalitarianism. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
  • Beck, L. J. (1997). “Senegal's “patrimonial democrats”: incremental reform and the obstacles to the consolidation of democracy.” Canadian Journal of African Studies, 37(1), 1-31.
  • Beck, L. J. (2001). Reining in the marabouts? Democratization and local governance in Senegal. African Affairs, 700(401), 601-62
  • Bertocchi, G. & Canova, F. (2002). “Did colonization matter for growth?: An empirical exploration into the historical causes of Africa's underdevelopment,” European Economic Review, 46(10), 1851-1871.
  • Boone, C. (1998). “State building in the African countryside: structure and politics at the grassroots.” Journal of Development Studies, 34(4), 1-31.
  • Bratton, M. (1998). “Second elections in Africa.” Journal of Democracy, 9(3), 51-65. DOI: 10.1353/jod.1998.0041
  • Brown, S., & Kaiser, P. (2007). “Democratisations in Africa: Attempts, Hindrances and Prospects.” Third World Quarterly, 28(6), 1131–1149. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20454986
  • Chabal, P. (2002). “The Quest for Good Government and Development in Africa: Is NEPAD the Answer?.” International Affairs, 78(3), 447-462.
  • Chabal, P., & Daloz, J. P. (1999). Africa Works. Disorder as Political Instrument. Oxford: James Curry.
  • Crowder, M. (1987). “Whose Dream was It Anyway? Twenty-Five Years of African Independence.” African Affairs, 86(342), 7–24. http://www.jstor.org/stable/722863
  • Dahl, R. A. (1971). Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition. New Haven : Yale University Press.
  • Decalo, S. (1992). “The Process, Prospects and Constraints of Democratization in Africa.” African Affairs, 91(362), 7–35.
  • Ellis, S. (2000). “Elections in Africa in Historical Context.” Election observation and democratization in Africa, edited by Jon Abbink and Gerti Hesseling, 37-49.
  • European Parliament. (2021). “State of democracy in sub-Saharan Africa”, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2021/690647/EPRS_BRI(2021)690647_EN.pdf (accessed 10 June 2021).
  • Finkel, S. E., Pérez-Liñán, A., & Seligson, M. A. (2007). “The Effects of U.S. Foreign Assistance on Democracy Building, 1990-2003.” World Politics, 59(3), 404–438. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40060164
  • Fjelde, H., & Höglund, K. (2016). “Electoral Institutions and Electoral Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa.” British Journal of Political Science, 46(2), 297–320.
  • Gillies, D. (1996). Between Principle and Practice: Human Rights in North-South Relations, McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal.
  • Haynes, J. (2004). “Religion and democratization in Africa.” Democratization, 11(4), 66-89.
  • Helms, L. (2004).“Five Ways of Institutionalizing Political Opposition: Lessons from the Advanced Democracies
  • Hessebon, G. T. (2014). “The Fourth Constitution-Making Wave of Africa: Constitutions 4.0?” Temple International & Comparative Law Journal, 28(2), 185-214.
  • Höglund, K. (2009). “Electoral Violence in Conflict-Ridden Societies: Concepts, Causes, and Consequences.” Terrorism and Political Violence, 21(3), 412-427.
  • Ihonvbere, J. O. (1996). “Where Is the Third Wave? A Critical Evaluation of Africa’s Non-Transition to Democracy.” Africa Today, 43(4), 343–367. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4187120
  • Ihonvbere, J. O. (1997). “Democratization in Africa.” Peace Review, 9(3), 371-378.
  • Ihonvbere, J. O., & Mbaku, J. M. (2003). “Introduction: Establishing Generalities and Specificities in Africa’s Struggle for Democracy and Development.” In Political Liberalization and Democratization in Africa: Lessons from Country Experiences, edited by Julius Omozuanvbo Ihonvbere, John Mukum Mbaku, 1-16, London: Westport, Connectiut.
  • Ikome, F. N. (2007). “The nature and character of the post-colonial African state.” In GOOD COUPS AND BAD COUPS: The limits of the African Union’s injunction on unconstitutional changes of power in Africa (pp. 18–29). Institute for Global Dialogue. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep07759.7
  • International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. (2021). “Africa”. https://www.idea.int/data-tools/continent-view/Africa/40?st=par#rep (accessed 10 June 2021).
  • Jackson, R. H., & Rosberg, C. G. (1984). “Personal Rule: Theory and Practice in Africa.” Comparative Politics, 16(4), 421–442. https://doi.org/10.2307/421948
  • Joseph, R. (1997). “Democratization in Africa after 1989: Comparative and Theoretical Perspectives.” Comparative Politics, 29(3), 363–382. https://doi.org/10.2307/422126.
  • Legum, C. (1990). “The Coming of Africa's Second Independence.” The Washington Quarterly, 13(1), 129-140.
  • Lippmann, W. (1939). The Indispensable Opposition. Atlantic Monthly.
  • Lynch, G., & Crawford, G. (2011). “Democratization in Africa 1990–2010: an assessment.” Democratization, 18(2), 275-310.
  • Mamdani, M. (1996). Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvc77c7w
  • Manning, C. (2005). “Assessing African Party Systems after the Third Wave.” Party Politics, 11(6), 707–727. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068805057606
  • Matlosa, K., & Zounmenou, D. D. (2011). “The tension between militarisation and democratisation in West Africa: a comparative analysis of Niger and Guinea.” Journal of African elections, 10(2), 93-114.
  • Mbaku, J. M. (2020). “Threats to democracy in Africa: The rise of the constitutional coup” October 30, 2020, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2020/10/30/threats-to-democracy-in- africa-the-rise-of-the-constitutional-coup/ (accessed 10 June 2021).
  • Médard, J. F. (1991). “L’État néo-patrimonial en Afrique noire,” in MÉDARD J.-F., (dir.), États d’Afrique Noire : Formations, mécanismes et crises, Paris, Karthala.
  • Mizuno, N., & Okazawa, R. (2009). “Colonial Experience and Postcolonial Underdevelopment in Africa.” Public Choice, 141(3/4), 405–419. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40541886
  • Mulikita, N. M. (2003). “A False Dawn?” African Security Review, 12(4), 105-115.
  • Ndegwa, S. N. (2001). “A decade of democracy in Africa.” Journal of Asian and African Studies, 36(1), 1-16.
  • Nzongola-Ntalaja, G. (2006). “Democratic Transition in Africa.” The Constitution, 6(1), 1-19.
  • Nzouankeu, J. M. (1993). “The Role of the National Conference in the Transition to Democracy in Africa: The Cases of Benin and Mali.” A Journal of Opinion, 21(1/2), 44-50.
  • Oloo, A. G. R. (2007). The Contemporary Opposition in Kenya: Between Internal Traits and State Manipulation. Codesria, Dakar.
  • Popper, K. (1989). Açık Toplum ve Düşmanları. I. Cilt (M. Tuncay, Çev.). İstanbul: Remzi Kitabevi.
  • Prempeh, H. K. (2007). “Africa's “constitutionalism revival”: False start or new dawn?” International Journal of Constitutional Law, 5(3), 469–506.
  • Przeworski, A., Alvarez, M., Cheibub, J., & Limongi, F. (2000). Democracy and Development: Political Institutions and Well-Being in the World, 1950–1990 (Cambridge Studies in the Theory of Democracy). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511804946
  • Riley, S. (1992). “Africa’s “New Wind of Change””, The World Today, 48(7), 116–119.
  • Spitz, D. (1994). Antidemokratik Düşünce Şekilleri (translated by Şiar Yalçın). Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı Yayınları, İstanbul.
  • Teshome-Bahiru, W. (2008). “Democracy and Elections in Africa: Critical Analysis.” International Journal of Human Sciences, 5(2), 1-14.
  • Thomson, A. (2010). An Introduction to African Politics, Routledge, London & New York.
  • V-Dem Institute. (2023). Democracy Report 2023: Defiance in the Face of Autocratization. University of Gothenburg.
  • Wanjohi, N. G., & Ahmed, A. G. M. (2003). “Sustainability of Political Parties in Kenya.” In M. A. M. Salih (Ed.), African Political Parties: Evolution, Institutionalisation and Governance (pp. 239–256). Pluto Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt18fs78h.14
  • Wanyande, P. (1987). Democracy and the One-Party State: The African Experience. In Democratic Theory and Practice in Africa, edited by W. Oyugi and A. Gitonga, 71-85. Nairobi: Heinemann.
  • Wiseman, J. (1996). A., The New Struggle for Democracy in Africa. Aldershot: Avebury.
  • Wiseman, J. A. (1995). Democracy and Political Change in Sub-Saharan Africa. London: Routledge.
  • World Bank. (1989). Sub-Saharan From Crisis to Sustainable Growth. Washington, D. C.: The World Bank. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/498241468742846138/pdf/multi0page.pdf (accessed 10 June 2021).
  • Yoon, M. Y. (2001). “Democratization and Women's Legislative Representation in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Democratization, 8(2), 169-190.
There are 59 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects International Politics, African Studies
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Pelin Aliyev 0000-0003-2466-2132

Publication Date June 4, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 15 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Aliyev, P. (2025). Understanding the Gains and Challenges of Democratization Process in Sub-Saharan Africa: Is Democratic Progress Under Threat?. İnsan Ve Toplum, 15(2), 147-170. https://doi.org/10.12658/M0765
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