FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2023 Marking 50 Years in the Struggle for Democracy Regional Trends AFRICA: Transfers of power, for better or worse AFRICA: STATUS BY POPULATION AFRICA: STATUS BY POPULATION AFRICA: STATUS BY COUNTRY AFRICA: STATUS BY COUNTRY AFRICA: STATUS BY POPULATION AFRICA: STATUS BY COUNTRY population TotalTotal population FREE 1.4 billion 1.4 billion 7% 43% 43% 46% 46% Changes in leadership were a major tension point in Africa over the past year. Chronic problems such as corruption and misgovernance, combined with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, have left African states more vulnerable to irregular seizures of power by military or executive officials. Despite these threats, however, several countries held free and fair elections that ushered in new governments and reinforced democratic institutions. In Burkina Faso, the year’s two military coups eliminated many of the gains from a 2014 political transition, sidelined electoral bodies and accountability mechanisms, and exacerbated a security crisis in which Islamist militant activity has displaced millions of people. But the country is not an outlier in the region: coup attempts were also made during 2022 in GuineaBissau, The Gambia, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Past coups have had lasting repercussions for political rights and civil liberties. In Guinea, the military junta that took control in 2021 has delayed a planned return to civilian rule until January 2025, incarcerated its critics, and brutally repressed street protests. Similarly, in the wake of Mali’s 2021 coup, the military authorities scrapped elections that 24 @ FreedomHouse NOT FREE Total Total countries countries 54 50% 50% PARTLY FREE 17% 17% 7% FREE 54 37% 37% had been scheduled for February 2022. Under international pressure, they announced a transition plan that would culminate in a presidential vote in 2024. Tunisian president Kaïs Saïed, who had asserted extraordinary powers and suspended the parliament in 2021, pressed ahead with his unilateral overhaul of the political system, mounting a flawed constitutional referendum and parliamentary elections that were boycotted by the opposition and the vast majority of eligible voters. Other power transfers have been far more democratic. Kenya’s election featured increased transparency, fresh evidence of judicial independence, and a peaceful handover of the presidency from one political bloc to another. The process represented a stark improvement over previous balloting, which has repeatedly been marred by ethnic violence, electoral misconduct, and politicians’ refusal to accept defeat. In Lesotho, a newly established party secured a legitimate victory in general elections, and Zambia’s successful rotation of power through elections in 2021 led to some progress in the fight against corruption, greater transparency and access to information, and fewer restrictions on freedom of assembly in 2022. #FreedomInTheWorld PARTLY FRE