10 african regimes where democracy is fading fast

In many African nations today, expressing dissent or questioning authoritarian leaders can lead to imprisonment—or worse. Over recent decades, numerous governments have shifted toward autocratic rule, stifling free speech, suppressing opposition voices, and undermining electoral processes to the point where democratic governance is barely functional.

Democracy under siege across the continent

Out of 55 African countries, over a dozen are now classified as closed autocracies, while 26 operate as electoral autocracies, according to the Varieties of Democracy Institute (V-Dem). This sharp decline in democratic standards was highlighted in V-Dem’s 2026 global democracy report, which noted that the average citizen today experiences democratic conditions comparable to those of 1978.

V-Dem’s findings reveal a stark reversal of the progress made during the « third wave of democratization » that began in Portugal in 1974 with the Carnation Revolution. This wave once inspired hope across Africa, but its gains have been nearly erased over the past 25 years.

The report further emphasizes that democracy in Western Europe and North America has also plummeted to its lowest point in over five decades, largely due to persistent autocratization in the United States. However, Africa’s democratic setbacks remain particularly pronounced, with the continent losing ground on freedoms won just a generation ago.

Autocracy dominates: most Africans live under authoritarian rule

By the end of 2025, the world counted 92 autocracies compared to 87 democracies, with 74% of the global population—six billion people—living under authoritarian regimes. Only 7%—roughly 0.6 billion—resided in liberal democracies.

V-Dem’s analysis identifies three troubling trends: a decline in democracies even in traditionally stable nations, the collapse of democratic systems in countries that had previously embraced reform, and the deepening of autocracy in already authoritarian states.

Africa’s democratic backslide: a regional crisis

Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, has seen its democratic gains erode to levels not seen since the early 2000s. The resurgence of military coups in the Sahel and the consolidation of autocratic rule in countries like the Central African Republic, Mozambique, and Togo have accelerated this negative shift.

Today, 66% of the region’s population lives under autocratic rule. Electoral autocracies—such as Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda—are home to 48% of Africans. Meanwhile, 14% live in closed autocracies, and only 10% reside in electoral democracies like Botswana and Ghana. Another 24% live in « gray zone » democracies such as Kenya and Nigeria, where democratic institutions remain fragile and contested.

Top 10 closed authoritarian regimes in sub-Saharan Africa

1. Eritrea

In 1993, after decades of war, Eritrea appeared poised for democratic transition. A transitional assembly set election dates, a electoral commission was formed, and draft laws on political parties were under discussion. Independent newspapers emerged, including critical voices within the ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ).

But in September 2001, as global attention focused on the 9/11 attacks in the United States, the government shut down all independent media in a single day. Leading critics were arrested and vanished without trace. Eleven members of the so-called G-15 group—including former foreign ministers and military leaders—were detained, and their fate remains unknown to this day.

Since then, Eritrea has become one of Africa’s most repressive and closed regimes. President Isaias Afwerki has ruled for over 30 years, and no presidential election has ever been held.

2. Burkina Faso

Since seizing power in September 2022, Burkina Faso’s military junta has made no secret of its disdain for democracy. The regime has suspended international media outlets and expelled foreign journalists.

In October 2025, the transitional authorities dissolved the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), and by February 2026, all political parties were banned. In an April 2026 television interview, Captain Ibrahim Traoré urged Burkinabè citizens to « forget about democracy » entirely, declaring, « Democracy isn’t for us. »

The junta, engaged in a brutal counterterrorism campaign, has also resorted to forced conscription of civilians—including critics and dissidents—into frontline military service.

3. Mali

Mali’s democratic journey began in 1991 when a popular uprising toppled the dictatorship of General Moussa Traoré. A young army officer, Amadou Toumani Touré, took power with a promise to steer the country toward democracy. After a transition period, pluralistic elections brought Alpha Oumar Konaré to the presidency, launching an era widely regarded as a model for West Africa.

But three decades later, Mali has regressed to its authoritarian past. Since 2020, two military coups have derailed democratic progress. The junta has dissolved political parties, severely restricted civil society, and jailed political leaders. Journalists and activists face arrest or forced exile. Despite initial pledges to restore constitutional order within four years, the military leadership has extended its rule indefinitely, with no clear transition timeline in sight.

4. Niger

Niger transitioned from a one-party state to a multiparty system in the early 1990s. After democratic elections in the 2000s, including two terms for President Mahamadou Issoufou, the country began to consolidate democratic institutions. But the 2023 military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum marked a sharp reversal. The new junta suspended political parties, postponed elections indefinitely, and clamped down on free expression, effectively suffocating democratic pluralism.

5. South Sudan

Since gaining independence in July 2011, South Sudan has been governed by a single party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), led by President Salva Kiir. The outbreak of civil war in 2013 further entrenched authoritarian control, as power became contested between Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar. Democratic practices remain virtually nonexistent, and citizens have never experienced free elections.

6. Sudan

Sudan has been ravaged by civil war for years, pitting the national army under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group. Both sides have been accused of war crimes and grave human rights abuses with impunity, leaving the country under de facto military rule and devoid of democratic processes.

7. Somalia

Somalia has not held free elections in over 50 years. Since Siad Barre’s 1969 coup, the country has known only one-party rule, suspended constitutions, and autocratic governance that plunged it into civil war during the 1990s. Recent efforts to introduce universal suffrage and multiparty elections represent tentative steps toward reversing decades of democratic stagnation.

8. Republic of Guinea

In Guinea, the 2021 coup that brought General Mamady Doumbouya to power intensified authoritarian trends. The December 2025 presidential election, in which Doumbouya claimed 86.72% of the vote, was widely criticized for excluding key opposition leaders and restricting civic freedoms. Civil society groups have documented arrests, enforced disappearances, and suspicious deaths in custody.

The government has suspended several political parties, restricted protests, and sanctioned media outlets through the High Authority for Communication, signaling a tightening grip on democratic space.

9. Eswatini

Eswatini remains Africa’s last absolute monarchy. King Mswati III holds all executive, legislative, and judicial powers, controlling the police, military, and judiciary. Since a 1973 royal decree banned political parties, national elections have functioned as a system of royal appointments rather than political competition. Critics argue that participation in such elections amounts to legitimizing a system that denies pluralism.

10. Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau has long struggled with political instability, drifting further from democratic norms. In November 2025, as vote counting was underway during a highly contested presidential election, soldiers seized power and overthrew the sitting president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló—who publicly confirmed his own ouster. The coup triggered a crackdown on opposition figures and raised serious concerns about the future of political freedoms and pluralism in the country.