Democracy is in peril in Africa, but its survival depends on Africans themselves, in an international context where Western powers have abandoned their ideals in favor of their interests, paving the way for the rise of authoritarian regimes.

Former Chadian Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacké poses a crucial question: if democracy is in danger (which is undeniable), is it still of sufficient interest for someone to come to its aid?

The West's disinterest and the reshaping of the world

The erosion of freedoms and human rights is a global phenomenon. The law of the strongest is regaining ground with the decline of multilateralism. Africa, once a chessboard of influence, finds itself disoriented in the face of a concert of nations dominated by national economic and strategic interests.

The West, once the self-proclaimed guarantor of liberal democracy, is experiencing a nationalist retreat. The potential return of Donald Trump symbolizes this drift: Washington now prioritizes transactional international relations , turning a blind eye to abuses as long as its interests are not threatened.

This new "business order" is indifferent to moral considerations, effectively legitimizing authoritarian regimes that find in these unconditional partnerships a comfortable substitute for old Western moral requirements.

Moral and economic decline: an opportunity for authoritarianism

The West has lost its stature as a moral beacon, experiencing both moral and economic decline. The rise of emerging African countries, which place little importance on democratic values, is even pushing Europe to relegate them to the back burner in favor of business. The defense of rights and democracy is now nothing more than a rhetorical stance in the face of major global crises.

In this context of geo-economic competition, human rights become a variable for adjustment.

In Francophone Africa, the failure of civilian autocrats has led to a worrying rise in dynastic regimes and military juntas (Bamako, Ouagadougou, Niamey, Conakry), often welcomed by a segment of the disillusioned population. Abandoned by Western democracies, African peoples are witnessing the democratic ideal erode in the face of poverty, misinformation, and widespread disenchantment.

Hope lies in African youth

African youth, the majority and highly connected, are caught between their legitimate desire for freedom and democracy and the temptation to be seduced by sovereignist and conspiratorial rhetoric. The author warns against conspiracy theories , calling them a "lazy shortcut" that absolves Africans of responsibility for their own destiny and delays the continent's development.

Africa is at a crossroads, between its aspiration for freedom and the return of authoritarian regimes.

The conclusion is inescapable: no foreign power will liberate Africans from autocracies. The international community will not install democracy in their place, because freedom cannot be exported; it must be won.

Only the conscious commitment and mobilization of African youth can truly save democracy on the continent.