In the 1990s the post-Cold War environment meant that people in many African countries led calls for democratisation and were supported by international actors. But now in the context of renewed geostrategic competition, international democratic partners seem to be sidetracked and African democrats have fewer reliable allies. A more aggressive Russia and more powerful China give authoritarian actors alternative options. To address the threat of democratic decline in West Africa, partner nations would need to focus on the problem at a higher level. Many international partners see challenges to democracy as a global problem. They want to help but believe responses should be led by African partners.
Several participants welcomed interest in Africa from multiple international partners. They suggested that while western partners cannot compete with China on infrastructure, they could potentially improve supply chains, governance and labour standards. A shift in thinking – seeing African countries as opportunities rather than problems – could also help. China and Turkey, for example, tend to see the continent in this way, and this gives them an advantage.
Some African partners had found Western pressure on responses to the Russian invasion of Ukraine problematic. They did not want another ‘Cold War’ or to be instrumentalised. Western participants recognised this and were now taking more nuanced approaches, listening more, and not encouraging partners to make a binary choice.
Some thought it was important to speak up when democracy is under attack. Arguably democratic governments could have stopped the Niger coup and constitutional changes in Togo, but they delayed. Others felt it is necessary to be realistic about the current geopolitical context. Some international partners have been content to let UCGs pass for national security reasons and to quickly move on. Politics in Western countries sometimes prioritises strong negative reactions, require rapid development results or reductions in spending. This has arguably led to a fall in the quality of democracy on the continent. But consolidating democracy is a lifetime engagement that requires sustained programs with space for course correction.