African Activist Archive

The report says the thirst for the democracy on the African continent is profound, and traditions of democracy run deep; from indaba to palaver to consensus, varied African traditions respect long debate before taking decisions. The continent has also known its own tyrants, many removed from office by the people. The overly centralized, authoritarian states, which are the targets of democratizing forces, are a legacy of colonialism, a state from which the West helped to sustain even after independence. Those states that tried new forms of democracy often faced western destabilization. The most brutal atrocities were used against states which experimented with "people's republic," from Western Sahara to Angola and Mozambique. Wars financed by the West continue to maim and terrorize whole populations. Movements for democracy is various African states are propelled by people's organizations. No Western agencies are promoting economic democracy - of any variety; privatization is centralizing economic power in the hands of the few. Democracy is on the agenda because the African people put it there, well before glasnost; however, it remains vulnerable. The report mentions multi-partyism, Abdou Diouf, Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d'Ivoire, Omar Bongo, Mobutu, Zaire, Frelimo, an independent judiciary, OAU (Organization of African Unity), electoral choice, civil liberties, International Monetary Fund (IMF) structural adjustment, controlled press, freedom of speech, the African National Congress (ANC) draft constitution, religion, donors, Nzongola Ntalaja, money, Liberia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Namibia, and peasants.

African Activist Archive

Draft New Visions Paper: DEMOCRATIZATION: A GUISE FOR DESTABILIZATION?

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