Resistance and Counter-resistance in Africa Democracy: The Impact and implication for Transformation

Abstract

In the 1990s the in-word in the political scene in Africa was democracy. The survival of any government was determined by whether they adhered to democratic practices as prescribed by western governments that advocated for this new form of leadership values in Africa. Indeed, countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo was born out of this necessity in which the word “democracy” was included in its name to warrant its acceptability to the supporters of democracy. Twenty years down the line, it is not clear if the enthusiasm applauded then is still alive. In some parts of African, there is the resistance to democratic values by some leaders who are reluctant to embrace the practices and values embedded in democracy. On the other hand, there have been counter- resistances of those who resist democracy by the people themselves and other bodies that cherish it. The paper denotes some of the factors ailing African Democracy and survey the African leaders who have resisted democracy and the resultant impact on the society. The paper also assesses the various institutions that have counter opposed such leaders and the consequent outcome. The paper further evaluates the impact of these developments on African societies affected and suggest the way forward.