In the spotlight: democracy in crisis in West Africa
Audio 03:48
Guinean President Alpha Condé.
AFP / Pool / Wu Hong
By: Frédéric Couteau Follow
8 min
Publicity
Observation established by
the Guinean news site Ledjely
: "
To see what prevails today in Mali, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire, it is difficult to be carried away by all the optimistic forecasts with which the future of the continent is adorned. African in some publications.
With the crisis that led to the coup d'état of August 18, 2020 in Bamako and the third term in office which Alpha Condé in Guinea and Alassane Ouattara in Côte d'Ivoire are seeking respectively, we would, on the contrary, be inclined to grant credit to those who equate the progress of Africa with the march of the crayfish.
One step forward, at least two steps back.
In any case
, sighs Ledjely again,
these three countries, instead of drawing inspiration from their Senegalese, Ghanaian and even Sierra Leonean neighbors, seem to imitate Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville or even Burundi.
"
Guinea
: a one-way presidential election
?
In Guinea, first of all, are we heading towards a political blockage?
A one-sided election?
"
Will the opposition go to the pipe breaker
?"
"
Asks the GuineaNews site
.
Indeed, in Guinea, "
democracy is guillotined
", exclaims the site.
"
The victory of an opponent to the presidential election of October 18 can only be a challenge
", with an administration and an Electoral Commission under orders.
Suddenly, the opposition parties are wondering about their participation in this election.
Aminata, another Guinean news site
, points out the growing influence of China in Guinea, both economically and politically ... "
Alpha Condé, who promised during his election in 2010 to be the
" Mandela of Guinea ",
would it not be becoming its Robert Mugabe under the influence of the Chinese regime
?
»Asks Aminata.
Indeed, he continues, “
the Middle Empire, greedy for raw materials, rushed on the country's gigantic bauxite reserves, causing mining concessions and factories to grow like mushrooms.
A gold rush which the Guinean population has not seen, since the mining sector represents 13% of the country's GDP, but only 3% of employment.
“What is more, continues Aminata, China does not hide its support for Alpha Condé.
Ivory Coast
: a risk of "
civil war
"
?
The situation is also tense in Côte d'Ivoire with the announcement by outgoing President Alassane Ouattara to stand for the third time.
In an interview published
this morning in
Le Monde Afrique
, Henri Konan Bédié, the former Ivorian head of state, now opponent, deplores the timidity of Paris, while several political tenors are on the way to being eliminated from the race in the presidential election of October 31 and that violence broke out.
At 86, Henri Konan Bédié appears as the main opposition candidate.
“
In view of the recent past, violence cannot be ruled out
,” he says.
As the Independent Electoral Commission is not independent, we are heading towards a contestable and not appeased election.
Power is to blame for this violence
(…).
Alassane Ouattara violates the Constitution by running for a third term, protests Henri Konan Bédié again.
His candidacy is illegal and everyone knows it.
(…)
With such a degraded situation, we are heading for major unrest, warns the former Ivorian president.
The pre-election crisis can lead to an unprecedented civil war.
"
Mali
: towards national consultation
?
Finally, Mali still in uncertainty, after the coup of August 18.
"
National brainstorming this weekend
",
headlines the daily
Today
in Burkina
.
“
The various components of Malian society will meet on Saturday and Sunday to
(try to)
agree on the roadmap that will frame the transition.
"
"
These hearings and visits seem to finally mark the ground for an inclusive national consultation
", notes for its part
The Independent
in Bamako.
But what Malians expect the most, points out the Malian daily, is a return to normal economically, because due to the blockade on international financial transactions, "
a breakdown in consumer products is to be feared in the weeks to come
”, especially basic necessities.
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