POLICYMAKERS, academics, and civil society leaders have issued an urgent call for African governments to pursue deep democratic reforms to ensure economic justice and restore public trust. They argued that while democracy remains popular across the continent, its failure to deliver tangible economic opportunities has fuelled widespread frustration, particularly among a youth population that feels…
As Malawi prepares to vote, and as other countries across the continent approach elections, we must resist the distraction of inflated candidate lists. Real democracy is not about noise, it’s about clarity. On 16 September 2025, Malawians head to the polls in what should be a critical moment for the country’s future. They will vote…
Debating Ideas reflects the values and editorial ethos of the African Arguments book series, publishing engaged, often radical, scholarship, original and activist writing from within the African continent and beyond. It offers debates and engagements, contexts and controversies, and reviews and responses flowing from the African Arguments books. It is edited and managed by the…
Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first democratically elected female head of state, has received the “Honorary Leadership Award” from the Young Political Leadership School Africa (YPLS Africa) in recognition of her decades of service to democracy, peace and women’s empowerment. The award was presented Wednesday at her Monrovia residence by Alphia F. Kemokai,…
Across Africa, democracy is being tested – by rising authoritarianism and military coups as well as a growing disconnect between citizens and the institutions meant to represent them. The latest flagship report from Afrobarometer, a pan African research network, delivers a powerful warning. Citizen Engagement, Citizen Power, released in July 2025, reports that over 60%…
The Sudan War series is a joint collaboration between the Center for Economic, Legal, and Social Studies and Documentation – Khartoum (CEDEJ-K), Sudan-Norway Academic Cooperation (SNAC) and African Arguments – Debating Ideas. Through a number of themes that explore the intersections of war, displacement, identities and capital, Sudanese researchers, many of whom are themselves displaced,…
– African political parties, which gathered in Acra, Ghana, for the African Political Parties Summit 2025, have pledged to ensure inclusivity and democracy as driving engines of Africa’s future. Speaking at the opening of the Summit, Prosperity Party Vice President Adem Farah stated that his party was born from a conscious choice of members of…
World leaders and international organisations have paid tributes to former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away at 82. The ECOWAS Commission, in a statement by its President Omar Touray, hailed Buhari as a distinguished statesman and key figure in advancing democracy and regional integration. “It is with deep sorrow that the world learnt of…
Welcome to Africa @ the G20, the podcast where we explore how African voices, priorities, and leadership can shape global governance spaces. Powered by Democracy Works Foundation and hosted by Raisa Cole and Lerato Maloka, the Climate Governance team at Democracy Works Foundation. In the first episode, we turn our focus to the Foundations20 (F20)…
August 2025 makes it five years since Malian soldiers ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in a coup d’état. While the event reshaped Mali’s domestic politics, it also marked the beginning of a broader wave of military takeovers that swept parts of Africa between 2020 and 2023. Soldiers have toppled governments in Niger, Burkina Faso (twice),…
