22/7/2025–|Last update: 00:09 (Mecca time)
Recently, the book “Africa Against democracy … myths, denial and dangers, “for Senegalese writer and journalist Othman Nada, to present a historical and analytical reading of the path of democratic rule on the continent, and the obstacles that stand in the face of the circulation of power smoothly, away from violence and seizure of government through coups and the use of weapons.
The book, which was published in the French language on July 10, starts from the rule that democracy is an experience in the system of government, which is a global and African principle, but some leaders on the brown continent publicly reject those ideas that call for the peaceful circulation of power and obey the decisions of peoples.
The author of the book cited the current democratic crisis in many African countries in which power was seized illegally, and some of its leaders seek to inherit power to their children in a way that contradicts the constitutional values regulating the circulation of government.
Civil systems problem
The writer believes that many countries are governed by anti -democracy systems, as the continent has witnessed nearly 9 successful military coups, most of them in West Africa, especially in the region that some analysts call the coup belt in the coast countries.
The writer sets an example of General Asimi Guita, who was initially a transitional leader in Mali, before he signed a law at the beginning of this month that allows him to remain in power without elections until at least 2030 and perhaps longer.
General Guita is not alone in the Sahel region, which came out on the democratic system, but rather his counterparts Niger Burkina Faso is on their way to strengthen their grip on power for an open period.
But the author of the book believes that the problem of rejecting African democracy is not limited to the generals and the contracts who led the coups, but there are civil provisions practicing dictatorship on peoples on the pretext of combating terrorism and unstable security conditions.
The writer sets an example with the Tunisian president Qais Saeed Who was democratically elected, but he turned the path, and his speech became close to the logic of hostility to the constitutional system.
Democracy is not a Western producer
The writer says that democracy and peaceful circulation of power are not the invention of the West, but forms of the continent have preceded the colonial era.
Despite the presence of these forms in ancient periods, the colonial era destroyed everything, and imposed an appropriate model for its culture and customs that may not be compatible with the civilization of African peoples.
Naday believes that the imported Western experience is a democratic preaching, and it cannot stand up to the continent or achieve a result, because it is coming from abroad.
Nada, through his new book, seeks to give a global character to democracy, saying that the power and ambition of peoples towards freedom and progress remains alive in winning the battle of democracy and equality.