Countering the Wave of Democratic Backsliding and the Crisis of Democracy in West Africa

While the early 1990s ushered in a period of democratic transition in African countries, the last decade has witnessed what many observers have called the process of democratic backsliding in many parts of West Africa. This article examines and analyses some of the main causes of democratic retrenchment in the West Africa sub-region and how to address them. The main argument in this article is that various constraints and challenges, such as the increasing return of the military in politics, electoral manipulations, constitutional reforms to benefit incumbents and the lack of economic dividends for citizens, are undermining the democratic progress initially made in the 1990s. Thus, addressing the challenges that lead to military intervention, including poor socioeconomic conditions, would go a long way in stemming the tide of democratic backsliding in West Africa. Additionally, ensuring increasing trust in institutions such as the judiciary, media, electoral management bodies and the electoral system, coupled with an increasing role for civil society organizations in the political environment, would help combat democratic backsliding in the sub-region.