Dictatorship Countries 2023 - worldpopulationreview.com What Does the World Health Organization Do? Meanwhile, the number of African countries that Freedom House rated not free has grown from a low of fourteen in 2006 and 2008 to twenty in 2021. The same administrations Young African Leaders Initiative, which has been reinvigorated by the Joe Biden administration, seeks to groom future leaders in a democratic context. Monarchies: 3. India had been an exception to the rule that capitalism comes before democracy. in Africa April 13, 2023 China's constitution calls its government a "people's democratic dictatorship." Those who believe that he is a dictator argue that he imprisons his opponents, removed freedom of speechthe press can only publish what he allows them toand has restructured the government to give himself more and longer-lasting power. Fighting in Sudan between forces loyal to two top generals has put that nation at risk of collapse and could have consequences far beyond its borders. The rights of the people are typically suppressed in a dictatorship, sometimes to a great degree. Countries are responding to the World Health Organization (WHO) call to action by putting into place best-practice TFA policies. by Lindsay Maizland So, he said, the military thinks: You know, why not take over?. Both sides have tens of thousands of fighters, foreign backers, mineral riches and other resources that could insulate them from sanctions. Backgrounder Globally in 2000 there were a total of 108 endemic countries. List Of Dictatorship Countries & Countries Ruled by Dictator By 2021 this had dropped to 84, yet nearly half of the world's population was still classified as 'at risk' of malaria. Why Sudan's conflict matters to the rest of the world | AP News In southern Africa, the triumvirate of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa are all considered free. On April 21, 1976, a group of four Greek Army colonels overthrew the caretaker government in a coup d'etat. Robyn Dixon. The pro-military sentiment does not extend to Sudan. Addressing these issues will require grappling with long-standing grievances left untreated and often exacerbated by the poor, sometimes brutal governance that is all too common across the African continent. In addition to executive authority, Putin also holds judicial and legislative power, which enables him to change the law to fit his agenda. Chadian soldiers walk by the coffin of the late Chadian president Idriss Deby during the state funeral in Ndjamena last April. Presidential term limits, where in place, have been frequently circumvented through so-called constitutional coups. Africa has several long-standing dictators despite the fact that the continent as a whole is quite volatile politically. Ghanas President Nana Akufo-Addo said on Friday, It represents a threat to peace, security and stability in West-Africa.. All three Sahelian countries with recent coups Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad are grappling with Islamist insurgencies that keep spreading, capitalizing on local tensions and grievances against political elites. The United Arab Emirates, a rising military power that has expanded its presence across the Middle East and East Africa, has close ties to the Rapid Support Forces, which sent thousands of fighters to aid the UAE Typically, dictators rise to power when a nation faces significant social issues, such as strong economic crises or unrest among the nation's people. First is that an autocracy nearly always focuses power in a single individual person, whereas dictatorshipssingle-party dictatorships in particularsometimes spread the power throughout a small group of people (say, the leaders of the dictator's political party). Whether or not Putin is a dictator is a matter of some debate. Dictatorship Countries It comes two years after they jointly carried out a military coup and derailed a transition to democracy that had begun after protesters in 2019 helped force the ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir. Michele Cattani/Agence France-Presse Getty Images, governments failure to protect its people from violent extremists. Totalitarian Countries 2023 - worldpopulationreview.com On the 20th anniversary of his crackdown in Eritrea, which is still a news and information black hole, Reporters Without Dictators are usually backed (especially financially) by groups of powerful people. While autocratic countries are not always malevolent, they often still encounter resistance from citizens who would prefer to have a greater say in the government's policy-making process. A citizen casts her ballot during parliamentary elections in April 2021 in Praia, Cape Verde. During a 2009 visit to Ghana, U.S. President Barack Obama famously said in an address to the parliament, Africa doesnt need strongmen, it needs strong institutions. But institution-building requires time and patience. The situation could have been even more alarming, because failed coup attempts have been reported in the Central African Republic (CAR) and, just days ago, Guinea-Bissau. A long-running civil war or partition of the Arab and African country into rival fiefdoms are also possible. In Burkina Faso, an attack last November that left almost 50 military police officers dead is considered a key event that led to the coup two months later. A president who had ruled for three decades was killed on the battlefield, and his son was quickly installed in his place a violation of the Constitution. In fact, most dictators adopt common appellations such as "President" or "Prime Minister", so they must be identified via their actions and policies rather than their title. February 13, 2023 At his swearing-in, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said he would lead a government that serves, not a government that rules. Many Africans, it seems, stand ready to push for the same from their own leaders and governments. The persistence of religious and ethnic rivalries has been underestimated by African democrats and their friends abroad. In 2011, the Obama White House launched the Open Government Partnership, an initiative in which member governmentsover a dozen of them Africanmade concrete commitments to promote transparency, empower citizens, and fight corruption. The report states that in 2017, disinformation campaigns were carried out in 28 countries. EXPLAINER: What Is Happening in Sudan, and How Does it Its an explosive cocktail. According toanalysis by the Oxford Internet Institute, the spread of misinformation driven by political organizations on social media has been sharply on the rise in recent years. In Africa, authoritarian states are often run by strongmen, geriatric leaders for life, some of whom are now looking to anoint their sons as their successors. Those criteria, and their application to a specific locale, are always subject to debate; the score can only be indicative, not definitive. These five nations that have recently experienced military coups form a broken line that stretches across the wide bulge of Africa, from Guinea on the west coast to Sudan in the east. Examples might include King Cyrus the Great of Persia, who is thought to have created the first declaration of human rights, the Biblical King Solomon, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yue. This growing trend is driving democratic backsliding on the continent. Not everyone supported the coup. On 18 September 2001, Eritrean President Issaias Afeworki took advantage of the fact that the world was still stunned by the 9/11 terrorist attacks to transform his country into a dictatorship and ban all independent media. With every country that gets added to this list, the voices claiming that democracy is not working - and cannot work - in Africa grow louder. Eswatini is currently ruled by king Makhosetive III Dlamini since 1986. Indeed, it is telling that while many people supported the coups that removed Mr Cond and Mr Keta, the most recent surveys conducted by Afrobarometer found that 76% of Guineans and 70% of Malians reject military rule. The U.S. removed Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism after the government in Khartoum agreed to forge ties with Israel in 2020. He wouldn't be the only one in Africa. In turn, this is one reason that military juntas typically justify their actions by claiming that they were intended to reinstitute the rule of law and save democracy from itself. Dictatorships seem much more extreme and unethical to people who enjoy the privilege of an outside perspective. Both the military and the public were outraged that their officers were not well-enough equipped or trained to withstand such an attack. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news, are each seeking to seize control of Sudan, has made inroads across Africa in recent years, removed Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, has vast livestock holdings and gold mining operations. The leader may be supported by a party or military, but still retains the overwhelming majority of power, especially regarding whom to place in which governmental roles, and relies heavily upon their own charisma to maintain control. Global Health Program, Innovating Solutions to the Climate Crisis, Virtual Event It's time for the United States to get serious about stopping the flow. Taken together, these forces also drive internal displacement and outward migrationboth to other African countries and to Europe. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video, At the time, Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa initially justified the move by saying that Facebook and Twitter had shut down government accounts, making the social media blackout sound like a retaliatory measure. The military rulers, seen as standing up to self-interested foreigners, now have overwhelming support, according to analysts and local news reports. This becomes clear if we go beyond the headlines to ask why some of the recent coups have been publicly celebrated. The United Arab Emirates, a rising and. Countries under Dictatorship in 2021 DevelopmentAid in Africa In early 2021, Facebook(Meta) deactivated more than 20 accounts linked toUgandan President Yoweri Museveni's ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. In March 2021, Magufuli diedhis death was attributed to heart disease but was likely brought on by COVID-19. Young peoplein particular, he highlights, are now ablewith the help of the internetto react immediately to laws and bans, and make their opinions known about the performance of the government or of private institutions. This is understandable, as the terms are very similar. Even so, continuing to build institutional infrastructure is the unglamorous way to promote a democratic trajectory in Africa. Countries Also called a dominant party dictatorship or one-party state. The internet and social media are increasingly empowering Africas youthful population to become politically active. Eswatini (previously Swaziland) has an absolute monarchy dictatorship in which the king rules over the country. WebAfrica A tank in downtown Harare Asia Thai soldiers at the Chang Phueak Gate in Chiang Mai. Tellingly, where coups have been seen to usurp processes of democratisation, they have been deeply unpopular. By entering your email and clicking subscribe, you're agreeing to receive announcements from CFR about our products and services, as well as invitations to CFR events. Failing to counter crime and insurgency, some African leaders are seeking greater security involvement from the United States. In both countries, civilian leaders lost popularity in part because they departed from democracy, not simply because citizens lost faith with it. Denis Sassou Nguesso took power in 1997, and has remained the president of the Republic of Congo. Of these eight, half are small island states: Cape Verde, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe, and Seychelles. The Guardian view on India at a crossroads: development, not The West Is Sending Light Tanks to Ukraine. EXPLAINER: What Is Happening in Sudan, and How Does it Republic of Congo. The Guardian view on India at a crossroads: development, not In 2021, five sitting African heads of state had been in power for more than three decades each: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in Equatorial Guinea, Paul Biya Dictatorships suffer from an obvious and significant imbalance of power. After the coup in Burkina Faso, the regional economic bloc, ECOWAS, released a statement saying that such a move cannot be tolerated, and instructing the soldiers to return to their barracks. Littoral states are also, on average, freer than landlocked ones, likely benefitting from increased interactions with foreigners from democratic societiesa factor more important prior to the advent of the digital age. Supporters of a military On a similar note, a dictatorship's regular citizens have no voice in most matters. The dilemma remains that Africa is buffeted by immediate security challenges that will not wait for a democratic culture to develop. Egypt relies on the Nile to support its population of over 100 million, and Ethiopia is working on a massive upstream dam that has alarmed both Cairo and Khartoum. By contrast, military regimes have a long history of abusing human rights while presiding over economic stagnation. Tanzania offers a stark example. Therefore, the entire country operates on the whims of that one person. by Will Freeman "It will also take time for those in power to stop using surveillance and monitoring as a means to counter criticism. WebAs of 2020, there are 52 nations with a dictator or authoritarian regime ruling the country: Three in Latin America and South America, 27 in Asia and the Middle East, and 22 in Eritrean troopsovertly or tacitly supported by the Ethiopian governmenthave reportedly committed a range of atrocities, while Abiys government stands accused of attempting to starve large swathes of the Tigrayan population into submission. Whats Happening to Democracy in Africa? - Council on Foreign Public support for democracy in Africa is still high, according to Afrobarometer surveys. Millions of people across the Sahel region have been displaced, and thousands are dead and often, people say that politicians seem not to notice or care, driving fancy cars and sending their children to expensive foreign schools. Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures, Backgrounder However, Twitter deleted this call, and in reponse,Buhari's government banned Nigerians from accessing the micro-blogging site,"Franziska Ulm-Dsterhft, Africa expert atAmnesty International in Germany,told DW. Power is obtained and passed on through family connections. Dictators in Africa using social media to cling to power The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) is stocked with autocrats, while the East African Community (EAC) has been but a weak presence to the point of risking irrelevance. Dictators In Africa NMN Africa The governmentcriminalizedthe sharing of unofficial data and used the law to restrict news coverage of the outbreak and other matters in the run-up to the October 2020 presidential election, which Magufuli won through intimidation and fraud. The external mediators risk becoming a traffic jam with no policeman, De Waal said. Most African regional organizations have a stated vocation of promoting democracy. The victor of the latest fighting is likely to be Sudans next president, with the loser facing exile, arrest or death. WebUsing evidence from the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and the countries involved in the Arab Spring, we argue that dictatorship in Africa serves a function akin to Myrdal's There is this notion that bad elections are worse than no elections at all, said Ms. Moderan. November 4, 2022 Other U.S. assistance programs support judicial independence, a critical component of functional democracy that is lacking in much of Africa. Obiang's regime is known for state-sanctioned kidnappings, torture of prisoners, and unlawful killings. with Ivan Kanapathy, Bonny Lin and Stephen S. Roach COVID-19 has also dramatically redirected Ethiopias political landscape deeper into authoritarianism. by James McBride, Anshu Siripurapu and Noah Berman Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Sudan and Mali have all seen the government overthrown and replaced with a military junta. Crowds cheering for soldiers driving through Bamako, Mali, in August 2020, after the military removed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita from power. October 6, 2022. Like most dictators, they also often employ secret police and violence to silence critics. Back in Uganda,the government in the capital Kampala has also been trying to make itharder for Ugandans to get independent information online by imposing taxes on mobile data. John Campbell and When the third wave of democratization swept across much of Africa in the wake of the Cold War, hopes were high that Africans would begin to enjoy the freedoms afforded to citizens living in the former colonial powers. As vaccination campaigns continue around the globe, vaccine diplomacy by China could deepen its ties to the continent and potentially further erode African confidence in democracy. Its a recipe for the kind of prolonged conflict that has devastated other countries in the Middle East and Africa, from Lebanon and Syria to Libya and Ethiopia. WebAs of early 2022, the countries of Afghanistan, Eritrea, North Korea, and Turkmenistan are the only nations in the world whose governments are generally considered to be Germany's 49 public transport ticket, Buhari's government banned Nigerians from accessing the micro-blogging site. While their president was imprisoned at a military base, hundreds of Malians celebrated with soldiers in the streets. Across Africa, long-standing dictators are losing their grip on power. Laos (Lao People's Democratic Republic) North Korea. Meanwhile, the sheer number of would-be mediators including the U.S., the U.N., the European Union, Egypt, Gulf countries, the African Union and the eight-nation eastern Africa bloc known as IGAD could render any peace efforts more complicated than the war itself. Globally in 2000 there were a total of 108 endemic countries. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules, What Europe's royals could teach King Charles. Globalization not realm for dictators It uneasily shares its waters with regional heavyweights Egypt and Ethiopia. After the central government used the pandemic to postpone parliamentary elections scheduled for August 2020, leaders from the Tigray region held local elections in defiance of the order. Five African Countries. Since its postwar founding, the UN agency has garnered both praise and criticism for its response to international public health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic. [33] 2021) Min Aung Hlaing (born 3 July 1956) is a Burmese politician and army general who has ruled Myanmar as the chairman of the State Administration Council since seizing power in the February 2021 coup dtat. Sudan: violence between army and militia is a symptom of an old In Ghanas 2020 election, former President John Mahama, running as the opposition candidate, rejected his defeat. This is thanks to an oil boom that enriched his family at the expense of the Equatorial Guinea citizens. Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, head of the armed forces, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces that grew out of Darfurs notorious Janjaweed militias, are each seeking to seize control of Sudan. What happens in Sudan will not stay in Sudan, said Alan Boswell of the International Crisis Group. To combat the trend, the United States and other partners should commit to the painstaking work of bolstering democratic institutions. But the longer (the fighting) drags on the more likely it is we see major external intervention.. People are fed up with their governments for many reasons major security threats, relentless humanitarian disasters and millions of young people having no prospects. One person holds all of the country's power. Negative effects include the unraveling of social organizations and democratic institutions and the prohibition of other political parties. In 2021, five sitting African heads of state had been in power for more than three decades each: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in Equatorial Guinea, Paul Biya However, within this category, increasingly populist governments are suppressing opposition groups, postponing elections, eliminating term limits, and abusing human rights to maintain power. Four trends stand out: In its 2021 report, Freedom House rated only eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa as free. The African Union suspended Mali, Guinea and Sudan, but not Chad a double standard that analysts warned could have dire consequences for Africa. But theres no one-size-fits-all explanation. Yet by invoking democracy to legitimate military takeover, coup plotters create a rod for their own backs. Anyone can read what you share. This is a critical point. 2021 PMI, Presidents Malaria Initiative Strategy 2021-2026, 2021. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni is suspected of using fake social media accounts to consolidate his power. What can Africas foreign friends do to encourage a democratic trajectory? Renewing America, Backgrounder However, after the January 16 election, Kutesa said the shut-downhad been"a necessary step to stop the biting language and incitement to violence. Rwanda is often cited as an example of what a "strong man" can do in the African context - delivering economic growth while reducing corruption. Russia, meanwhile, has long harbored plans to build a naval base capable of hosting up to 300 troops and four ships in Port Sudan, on a crucial Red Sea trading route for energy shipments to Europe. More Africans live under fully or partially authoritarian states today than at most points in the last two decades. As in other parts of the world, it thus remains unclear whether the increasing prevalence and importance of the internet and social media, in their totality, will have a beneficial, deleterious, or ambiguous effect on democracy. by CFR.org Editors These countries usually have low levels of social development, underdeveloped civil organizations, and weak institutions of government. Human rights activist Opiyo says that with reports like these, it is becoming clear thatthe earlier view of social media as "a liberating force for democracy" is disappearing: "(N)ow we see the dangers associated with it, and how social media can be used to undermine democratic processes. The 25 Best Countries View All 29 Slides Sudans regional, economic and strategic importance Sudan is located at a critical nexus, geographically. The United Arab Emirates, a rising military power that has expanded its presence across the Middle East and East Africa, has close ties to the Rapid Support Forces, which sent thousands of fighters to aid the UAE Arab Gulf countries have looked to the Horn of Africa in recent years as they have sought to project power across the region. Ghanas President Nana Akufo-Addo said on Friday, It represents a threat to peace, security and stability in West-Africa.. During the presidents weekslong public absence prior, at least one man was arrested for questioning his health. According to a report published by the South African Institute of International Affairs, shutting down the internet andarresting government critics voicing their views on social media channels are signs that several governmentsin sub-Saharan Africa are becomingincreasingly autocratic. WebA military dictatorship is a type of dictatorship in which power is held by one or more military officers acting on behalf of the military. Weekly. However, Chinas model of developmental authoritarianism remains attractive to those who see democracy as an impediment to development. When necessary, a dictator may also make an effort to replace or amend the nation's constitution to empower, enrich, or otherwise benefit the dictator and his/her allies to a greater degree. The RSF will want to interrupt major transport arteries including the road from Port Sudan to Khartoum.. In others, it is because they have political projects they wish to complete that take longer than expected. The Guardian view on India at a crossroads: development, not Europe North America Oceania South America See also Coup d'tat List of coups and coup attempts by country List of revolutions and rebellions (chronological listing) References ^ "Military coup ousts Niger president Mamadou Tandja". Hybrid dictatorships: What its like to live under a Dictatorship. Theres a belief that strongmen can better face the security risks, especially in the Sahelian countries where violence is spiraling, said Anna Schmauder, a research fellow focused on the Sahel in the conflict research unit of the Dutch think tank Clingendael. The nation turns on the television and collectively switches to the state channel, where they see new leaders, wearing berets and fatigues, announce that the Constitution has been suspended, national assembly dissolved, borders closed. Why Now? This article was translated from German by Chrispin Mwakideu. For some, this was evidence that the African Union has become little more than a weak and biased dictators club. Conceived as the principal defenders of the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has evolved into an institution with vast political, economic, and military power. Chads military is considered one of the continents strongest, yet it has failed to stop deadly attacks by Boko Haram and its splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province, an insurgency that is now a decade old. One reason that democracy may remain the favoured political system for so many African societies - even in countries where it has yet to be realised - is the poor performance of authoritarian governments. In neighboring Guinea, some initially greeted the coup leader as a liberator, but many also shut themselves up at home, afraid for the future. Military takeovers are unlikely to provide an effective way out of this dangerous spiral, because every coup weakens democratic institutions and reasserts the power of the gun at the expense of the power of the ballot box. By 2009, two-thirds were considered free or partly free.. Some have been in power for decades, such as President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial New Guinea. Nonetheless, the index provides an objective standard and vocabulary with which to assess and compare personal freedoms across Africa.