The role of the African Union in tackling democratic recession in Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACT The African Union (AU), as a norm-setting institution, is tasked with addressing democratic recession on the African continent. This article critically analyses that role from the minimalist conception track of democracy as elections. Inadvertently, due to the AU’s intergovernmental institutional character and the inter-play between the norms of democratic governance and ‘elections as sovereign process’ among the member states, the tendency is for the AU to choose to posture around securing momentary peace. This has undermined democratic consolidation and progress on the continent, in spite of the significant investment which the AU has made in electoral and democratic governance institutions and processes in the past two decades. Consequently, contested electoral outcomes, popular revolts and the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government continue to take place in Africa. The desired progress towards democracy as development, which is a framing enshrined in the AU’s Agenda 2063, has therefore become a formidable undertaking.