Across Africa, a group of entrenched leaders has held power for decades, using a familiar playbook of political control. Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Cameroon’s Paul Biya, and the Republic of the Congo’s Denis Sassou Nguesso have each ruled for over 40 years by mastering tactics that undermine genuine democracy. They consolidate power through compromised electoral systems, violence, and divide-and-rule strategies among ethnic groups. Furthermore, key foreign alliances and the strategic removal of constitutional term limits have solidified their reigns. Despite routine polls that project a democratic order, critics argue these contests are tightly managed rituals that entrench power rather than reflect public will.
Aljazeera
