Democracy is experiencing a decline in popularity in many countries across Africa. Beyond the resurgence of coups across the continent, from Mali to Niger, and Sudan’s devolution into war, many of the continents inhabitants appear to be losing faith in democracy as a form of government. A survey by Afrobarometer, a polling organization with respondents across more than 30 African countries, discovered that only two thirds of Africans living in Africa prefer democracy over other forms of government. The phenomenon is especially widespread in Angola, Lesotho, Mali, Mozambique, and South Africa where less than 50% of the respondents support democracy. For many of these disbelievers, and even some of those who support democracy, traditional rulers remain popular and are deemed more trustworthy than elected rulers.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION
