Dilemmas of ‘Democratic Representation’ and One-Party Rule in Africa

During the transition in the 90s, unlike the pessimism portrayed by the African elite, some countries though small in number, notably Zambia and Mozambique had already made a successful transition from military-affiliated single party dictatorships to pluriform institutions and practices. Armed peace, while contested heavily as to its democratic credentials by opposition forces has resulted in regime change and relative peace for economic development. Ruling parties had used the moment of elections to rally the populace behind votes designed to intimidate the populace and a one party choice. Nigeria, Algeria and Burundi had of course slipped into political oblivion by the restitution of military rule. While there are improvements in the political arena, seen from the outside, Africa is often characterized as a continent of civil conflict, refugees and displaced populations and economic crisis. Yes, some of the bloodiest conflicts since the end of WWII have been among Africans. Millions of refugees and IDPs, proportionately the largest number in developing countries, are in Sub-Saharan Africa. The forces of lawlessness, mercenaries, petty arms traders, narco-traffickers and smugglers have descended on African countries in conflict, fanning the flames of war, and profiteering from the destruction of the lives of our children. One may indeed ask whether the state-sponsored plunder of colonialism has not been replaced by private profiteering: the privatization of politics, plunder and exploitation!
See paper here or at https://www.academia.edu/13269553/Dilemmas_of_Democratic_Representation_and_One-Party_Rule_in_Africa