Africa's democracy declining amid global rise of strongmen, Mo Ibrahim warns
Democracy and human rights are deteriorating across Africa as political leaders increasingly adopt authoritarian practices seen elsewhere in the world, governance watchdog Mo Ibrahim has warned.
The Sudanese-British billionaire and founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation said the global rise of strongman leadership was encouraging African leaders to undermine democratic institutions and civil liberties.
The foundation's latest governance report found improvements in economic opportunities and human development over the past decade, but significant declines in security, human rights and public participation.
According to the report, 30 African countries, representing half the continent's population, recorded improved governance scores between 2016 and 2025, while 23 countries deteriorated and one remained unchanged.
Ibrahim highlighted recent elections in Tanzania, where security forces were accused of killing thousands of protesters, and Uganda, where opposition leader Bobi Wine reportedly faced attacks and intimidation.
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“It's just disgraceful,” Ibrahim told AFP. He attributed the decline partly to weakening liberal democracy worldwide, pointing to political developments in the United States, Europe and Russia.
“It is a strange era... we can see this phenomenon of the rise of strongmen everywhere,” he said.
Ibrahim also criticised the Trump administration's shift towards more transactional diplomacy, arguing that it was weakening the international order and the rule of law.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
