How can West Africa achieve democratic stability? We discussed this question at our symposium on October 30, 2021, at ExRotaprint in Berlin-Wedding. In November and December, we explored the topic further in two online discussions – one on Guinea and one on Côte d’Ivoire.
What it was about
The focus was on Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. In both countries, the president had tried to unlawfully secure a third term in office.
Using these two countries as examples, we wanted to understand how democratic stability can be achieved in West Africa – without the struggle for more democracy ending in new violence. And what role Germany and the African diaspora can play in this.
One symposium and two online discussions
The symposium was held in a hybrid format: in the project space “Glaskiste” at ExRotaprint and online at the same time, with simultaneous German–French interpretation. The two online discussions continued and deepened the conversation begun at the symposium.
- October 30 Symposium “Peace and Development in West Africa” 10:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m., at ExRotaprint and online
- November 17 Online discussion “Guinea – Opportunities for Democratization?” 6:00–8:00 p.m.
- December 3 Online discussion “The Lure of a Third Term,” using the example of Côte d’Ivoire 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Guinea: a chance for democracy?
On November 17, the focus was on Guinea. There, the military had since removed the president from power. How should the new situation be assessed? What opportunities and obstacles were there for a democratization process? And how could Germany and the diaspora support it?
A political activist and a psychosocial counselor discussed these questions. The conversation was interpreted between German and French.
Côte d’Ivoire: the lure of a third term
On December 3, we turned our attention to Côte d’Ivoire. There, the president had secured a third term, and protests had been brutally crushed. At the same time, the country had a vibrant civil society. And the former president, his opponent in the last civil war, had returned to the country.
Our guest was an economist from the board of the Landesnetzwerk Afrikanischer Vereine (LAV) e.V., the Berlin network of African associations.
Questions of the evening
- How can processes of democratization and reconciliation be set in motion in West Africa?
- How can tribalism, regionalism, and clientelism be overcome instead of being further reinforced in the dispute between government and opposition?
- How can we prevent the struggle for more democracy from leading to violence, destabilization, and civil war?
- How can broad, inclusive processes succeed that overcome old divisions, strengthen state and legal institutions, and leave the legacy of colonialism behind?
- How can Germany and the diaspora support such processes?
What came next
Two years later, we took up the topic again: after the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger, our 2023 symposium asked about the opportunities for democratization in West Africa.
The events were funded by Engagement Global on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises.