Afrobarometer polling shows that majorities in all countries have always supported term limits, and Africans generally still have strong support for democracy (66%) and reject non-democratic alternatives. But there has been a 10% decline in those who reject military rule – and in Mali, Burkina Faso, Tunisia and Niger it is now a minority view. Just over half of Africans surveyed (53%) agree that military leaders should step in if political leaders abuse power.
Afrobarometer also suggests that most Africans preferred accountable over effective government but were increasingly frustrated with the quality of democracy supplied as seen in 1) the quality of elections, 2) perceptions of corruption at a local level and 3) legal accountability of elected officials and ordinary citizens. Democracy tends to come under threat when people feel that their government does not care.
Responses to UCGs tend to be more successful when they complement existing actions by domestic institutions and civil society. They ‘saved the day’ in Senegal in 2024 and active civil society efforts elsewhere in West Africa (Ghana, Cape Verde, Nigeria and Benin) generate democratic resilience to build on.