Commentary on Democratic Backsliding in Senegal and Other African Nations

2015 was a banner year for democracy in Africa. Nigeria, the largest country on the continent, had a democratic election, and even more impressively, had its first ever peaceful transition of power when sitting President Goodluck Jonathan transferred power to Muhammadu Buhari. Former President Jonathan conceded and famously declared, "Nobody's ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian." My last piece for The Hill was titled, ‘Will Guinea's experiment in democracy succeed?" It is with great joy that I can report that it did! Guinea's first democratically elected President, Alpha Conde, won his reelection campaign in a peaceful election that was internationally monitored in which the Guinean electorate reaffirmed its commitment to a democracy. Despite these victories for democracy in a continent in which I dedicated a great deal of my life's work, Iam deeply troubled by developments over the last few weeks. Earlier this week Uganda President Yoweri Museveni extended his thirty year rule and "won" his fifth consecutive election which international observers said was marred with intimidation and impropriety. Shortly after the election Museveni, who scrapped constitutional term limits a decade ago, had his political rival, Kizza Besigye arrested and detained for protesting the election results. Of course we have come to expect these actions from Museveni in Uganda. What I am even most troubled by is what is taking place in Senegal, which was once the pillar of democracy in Africa. When Abdoulaye Wade was democratically elected as President of Senegal in 2000, it was a huge step forward for democracy in Africa. President Wade adopted a new constitution and instituted term limits for the first time in Senegalese history. In 2012 President Wade was defeated in a democratic election by his Prime Minister Macky Sall. The United States and the larger international community praised Wade for his quick concession and praised peaceful transition of power. President Macky Sall affirmed his commitment to democracy announcing that he would shorten term limits from 7 to 5 years. President Obama visited Senegal in June of 2013 and praised President Sall for his commitment to democracy in shortening the presidential mandate and praised the country's rule of law. Unfortunately in the past few years much has changed and we are witnessing a backslide in what was once Africa's brightest democratic success story. When the opposition party, the Senegalese Democratic Party, designated former President Abdoulaye Wade' son, former Minister Karim Wade, as their candidate for the next presidential election; President Sall had Karim Wade arrested and detained. President Macky Sall then reestablished a special court by presidential decree that had been abolished by Senegalese law and not heard a case in thirty years. This newly established special court sentenced Mr. Wade to six years in prison. He remains in prison today, sentenced without appeal. In April 2015, the United Nations Working Group of Arbitrary Detention determined that Mr. Wade was arbitrarily arrested and that his detention was in violation of international law. Last month the UN Working Group reaffirmed its finding and called on President Sall's regime to release Karim Wade and comply with international law. Sall has ignored the UN Working Groups request. Last week the backslide continued even further as President Macky Sall reneged on his commitment to shorten term limits. Instead of holding elections next year, after five years per his commitment, he announced that he would serve until 2019. He claims that this decision was based on the opinion - just an opinion - of the Constitutional Council that he had himself sought. In light of the trend toward democracy in Africa as exemplified by Nigeria and Guinea, it is very concerning that one of the United States’ closest allies and Africa's strongest democracies appears to be retrogressing. The destabilization of democracy in Senegal could have significant consequences in the entire region. The United HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028777