The recent spate of military takeovers, most recently in Chad, highlights a developing trend by armed forces in Africa which overtly subvert constitutional governance.
He came into office with a reputation for making broken systems work, but as he began his second presidential term John Magufuli became known as a ruthless and ambitious authoritarian.
Sudan’s new government came to power after a people-driven process to oust former President Omar al-Bashir. It must be careful to place ordinary Sudanese at the centre of the reforms process.
Having four female Commissioners out of six is a good start, but that alone is will not erase the vulnerabilities that women face in leadership and everyday life.
In a country where judicial review is not constitutionally guaranteed, hate speech legislation could shackle freedom of expression and limit citizens’ rights to express themselves.
After endless, futile negotiations with the Kabila camp, Tshisekedi appears to have finally recognised the limits of the coalition government and has lost patience.
Magufuli took a populist approach in trying to woo voters away from an invigorated opposition, and when that didn’t work he reported to oppressive tactics.
As key opposition members lose seats in their strongholds, it is clear that Tanzania’s ruling party is set to establish a super-majority that will institute a deeper authoritarian agenda.
Kenya’s constitution-making process has exhibited a gyration pattern that often starts with a belief that governance reforms can rectify the country’s problems, but ends up as a power struggle.