Sahel coups push Africa to top of global democratic declines, report finds

Africa accounted for a third of global democratic declines between 2019 and 2024, while also producing nearly a quarter of global improvements, a new report by an intergovernmental watchdog found.

The sharpest setbacks were linked to a wave of military takeovers in the Sahel and parts of central Africa, the Stockholm-based International IDEA said in its Global State of Democracy report. Just last week in Burkina Faso — which saw two coups in 2022, and which remains under military rule — junta leader Ibrahim Traoré told reporters that “people need to forget about democracy.” Mali and Guinea are also governed by military regimes following putsches in recent years. International IDEA said these disruptions weakened electoral credibility, dissolved parliaments, and curtailed judicial independence.

At the same time, the organization noted that Botswana, Mauritius, and South Africa saw gains in electoral administration, and civic participation remained comparatively strong across the continent.