Dkt. Christopher Fomunyoh, ambaye ni Mkurugenzi wa Kanda ya Afrika wa shirika la National Democratic Institute (NDI) ambalo linafanya kazi kusaidia na kuimarisha taasisi za kidemokrasia ulimwenguni kupitia ushiriki wa raia, uwazi na uwajibikaji serikalini, ameelezea hali ya kudhorota na kurudi nyuma kwa demokrasia katika nchi mbalimbali za Kiafrika.
Katika taarifa yake iliyobeba jina la “Kukabiliana na kurudi nyuma Kidemokrasia Barani Afrika na Kubadilisha Mwelekeo”, aliyoiwasilisha kupitia shirika la NDI mnamo tarehe 30 Septemba, 2020, Fomunyoh ameelezea nchi za Kusini na Mashariki mwa Afrika, mfano wa nchi ya Zimbabwe na Tanzania kama miongoni mwa mataifa ambayo Demokrasia imerudi nyuma.
Katika taarifa hiyo Dkt. Fomunyoh ameeleza kuwa baadhi ya nchi (Serikali) zimekuwa zikitesa Wapinzani wa kisiasa na Wanaharakati wa asasi za kiraia hususani katika nchi ya Zimbabwe.
“Kuendelea kuteswa kwa wapinzani wa kisiasa na wanaharakati wa asasi za kiraia Kusini na Mashariki mwa Afrika, ikiwamo nchini Zimbabwe na Tanzania kunapunguza sana ushiriki wa raia katika siasa na utawala.” Amesema
Akieleza hali hiyo kwa upande wa Pembe ya Afrika (Horn of Africa), Fomunyoh ameeleza kuwa matumaini ya kupanuka kwa nafasi ya kisiasa na haki yaliyokuwepo nchini Ethiopia wakati serikali ya sasa ilipoingia madarakani mnamo 2018, sasa yanaweza kupotea kufuatia vitendo vya kuwekwa kizuizini kwa wanaharakati wa haki za binadamu pamoja na waandishi wa habari.
Pia, ameeleza kuwa uchunguzi wa mashirika mbalimbali unaendelea kuonesha kwamba idadi kubwa ya Waafrika wanaamini demokrasia kama mfumo bora wa serikali hata kama hawakubaliani na utendaji wa viongozi wao.
“Katika uchunguzi wa kina wa wahojiwa zaidi ya 45,000 katika nchi 34 za Afrika uliofanywa kati ya 2016 na 2018, Afrobarometer iligundua kuwa ni asilimia 34 tu ya wahojiwa walihisi wanaishi katika demokrasia na wameridhika na jinsi demokrasia inavyofanya kazi katika nchi zao, wakati asilimia 68 kamili wanafikiria kuwa demokrasia ndiyo serikali bora. Nchi nyingi barani Afrika zinapungukiwa katika juhudi zao za kuimarisha utawala wa kikatiba, haswa kuhusu heshima ya mipaka ya muda wa urais; na vyombo vingine vya utawala kama sheria za uchaguzi, nafasi ya raia na shughuli za vyama vya kisiasa.” amesema Dkt. Fomunyoh
Zaidi soma
In Southern and East Africa, continued persecution of political opposition and civil society activists in Zimbabwe, and similar worrying patterns in Tanzania since 2016, seriously diminish citizen participation in politics and governance, and also stymie prospects for much needed reforms. In the Horn of Africa, early hopes of broadening political space and rights in Ethiopia when the current government came to power in 2018, are now under threat as human rights activists and journalists are harassed and detained, and the country struggles to maintain its unity and find consensus over the legal framework and timeline for national elections.
The COVID-19 pandemic has not helped, as it has slowed or impeded election preparations, and generated fears that in some countries with national elections scheduled to take place before the end of the year, incumbents would abuse emergency powers to limit freedoms of expression and assembly and further shrink political space. Presidential elections are scheduled to take place in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Niger and Tanzania, while parliamentary elections initially scheduled for this year in Ethiopia have been postponed indefinitely.
Christopher Fomunyoh: Facing Democratic Backsliding in Africa & Reversing the Trend
Facing Democratic Backsliding in Africa & Reversing the Trend Presented at “Democratic Backsliding in Sub-Saharan Africa” House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Submitted by Christopher Fomunyoh, Ph.D Senior...
