In recent months, political transitions in parts of Africa have taken an uncertain turn, with four key countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast, and Cameroon, witnessing significant power consolidation by ruling leaders or military juntas.
At the heart of the unfolding developments is a marked erosion of democratic safeguards, exemplified by bans on opposition activities.
Electoral institutions are also being dissolved, while constitutional reforms that favour tenure elongation are introduced.
Observers say these patterns signal a wider democratic retreat in a continent long grappling with coups, civil unrest, and contested political legitimacy.
Ivory Coast: Ouattara’s fourth-term bid stirs tension
In the Ivory Coast, President Alassane Ouattara declared on July 29, 2025, his intention to run for a fourth term ahead of the October 25, 2025, presidential poll.
The announcement, made after months of speculation and earlier hints in June 2025, sparked renewed concern over the country’s democratic trajectory.
His re-nomination by the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) came as constitutional term limits remained a point of contention.
On June 4, 2025, the nation’s electoral landscape was further destabilised when four leading opposition figures–Tidjane Thiam, Laurent Gbagbo, Charles Blé Goudé, and Guillaume Soro–were barred from contesting the election.
The Electoral Commission’s refusal to update the voter register, despite repeated appeals, drew sharp criticism from civil society and international observers.
“The signals are worrying,” said Dr. Marie-Kaïssa Koné, a political scientist based in Abidjan. “The systematic exclusion of opposition voices is not just about the candidates–it’s about disenfranchising their support base.”
Cameroon: Biya’s enduring rule and shrinking political space
In Cameroon, President Paul Biya–Africa’s oldest head of state at 91 years–made quiet but decisive moves toward securing an eighth term, officially announced on July 13, 2025, ahead of the October 12, 2025, presidential election.
The legislative elections were earlier postponed in early 2025, which opposition parties said was deliberate.
On July 26, 2025, opposition leader Maurice Kamto was forcibly evicted from Douala during a rally, while police barricaded venues across Yaoundé and Bafoussam, citing “security concerns.” Cameroon’s electoral commission, ELECAM, released a provisional list of candidates that excluded Kamto.
“Paul Biya has become a master of subtle authoritarianism,” said a senior editor at Le Messager. “He doesn’t need tanks. He uses laws.”
Mali: Multiparty democracy dismantled
In Mali, where the military took power after coups in 2020 and 2021, democratic structures suffered a major blow in May 2025, when the ruling junta formally dissolved all political parties and banned their activities nationwide.
On May 7, a decree suspended political party operations, and by May 13, the ban was codified into law.
Just weeks later, on July 10, 2025, junta leader Assimi Goïta approved a controversial law granting himself a five-year presidential mandate, renewable indefinitely and without elections.
The measure, passed by Mali’s military-appointed legislative body and adopted by the Council of Ministers, allows Goïta to remain in power until at least 2030, despite earlier pledges to return to civilian rule by March 2024.
Opposition leaders–Abba Alhassane, El Bachir Thiam, and Abdoul Karim Traoré–reportedly went missing beginning May 8, following pro-democracy protests. Civic organisations have condemned the junta’s actions as a dangerous slide into authoritarianism.
Burkina Faso: Electoral oversight stripped away
Burkina Faso’s democratic structures were dealt a severe blow on July 17, 2025, when the ruling military dissolved the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). The following day, July 18, electoral responsibilities were transferred to the Ministry of Territorial Administration, drawing criticism for centralising executive control.
Originally scheduled elections in July 2023 were indefinitely postponed, and the junta extended its tenure until July 2029. A constitutional amendment passed during this transition now permits Captain Ibrahim Traoré to contest future presidential elections.
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“From revolutionary euphoria to quiet disenchantment–Burkina Faso is watching democracy retreat behind the barrels of guns,” said Issaka Zongo, editor of L’Observateur Paalga.
In a related development, two prominent Senegalese critics of the government, political commentator Bachir Fofana and opposition politician Moustapha Diakhate–were released on Wednesday following convictions for insulting the president and spreading disinformation.
Their arrest and sentencing triggered outcry from their legal teams, who described the detentions as politically motivated and a form of “hostage-taking.”
Fofana had questioned the legality of a controversial car procurement deal for parliament, while Diakhate had branded Senegal’s new leaders “scoundrels.”
Both men received two-month sentences, though Diakhate had already served his time, and Fofana’s sentence was suspended.
Their release marks a contentious moment in Senegal’s political landscape, where dissent has come under sharper scrutiny since President Bassirou Diomaye Faye took office in March 2024.