Nigeria’s street protests placed governance issues back at the centre stage in Africa. 2020 is proving a crucial year for democratic processes across the continent. Seriously affected by the impact of the pandemic, democracy around the world is facing new challenges and threats: looking at the forthcoming elections in Africa thus becomes more urgent than ever. While the Covid-19 crisis led to the postponement of critical elections – notably, the long-awaited ones in Ethiopia and Somalia – elsewhere voting processes have not been halted. After Togo, Burundi, and Malawi – here a democratic turnover took place – many other African countries will go to the polls over the next few weeks, from Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso to Ghana and Tanzania. How are these countries approaching the vote in the midst of the pandemic? Will the elections contribute to advancing democratic practices or else simply strengthen the power of incumbents?
ISPI and University of Milan
University of Milan
Loughborough University
CDD Ghana - Auburn University
University of Florida
University of Georgia
Analyst and humanitarian worker
University of Aberdeen
Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD)
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University of Cincinnati
German Development Institute
The Brookings Institution
University of Maryland and The Brookings Institution
Trade Law Centre
Head ISPI Africa Programme and University of Milan
Observer Research Foundation
Overseas Development Institute