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NEW REPORT: Africa Marks a Decade of Decline in Freedom, with 2023 Being Marred by Electoral Violence and Civil Conflict [1]

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Date: 2024-02

WASHINGTON—Freedom in Africa declined for the 10th consecutive year in 2023, driven by armed conflict, military coups, and electoral irregularities, according to a new report released today by Freedom House.

The new report, Freedom in the World 2024: The Mounting Damage of Flawed Elections and Armed Conflict, found that global freedom declined for an 18th consecutive year in 2023 as political rights and civil liberties deteriorated in 52 countries, representing a fifth of the world’s population. The declines were both widespread and severe, eclipsing the improvements observed in 21 other countries.

Elections in Madagascar, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe were marred by political violence, administrative irregularities, and distrust, while conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo led to devastating human rights abuses. Military juntas ousted civilian governments in Niger and Gabon, continuing a wave of coups on the continent. Against this backdrop, successful elections in Liberia and a number of court rulings that protected LGBT+ people’s rights stood out as bright spots.

Freedom in the World includes scores and detailed country reports on political rights and civil liberties for 195 countries and 15 territories around the globe. Scores are based on a 100-point scale, with 0 representing the lowest level of freedom. This report, the 51st annual edition, covers developments in 2023 and provides a brief analysis of long-term trends.

Key regional findings include the following:

Overall, freedom in the region declined as 14 countries received score declines and 5 recorded improvements.

Niger had the sharpest score drop (−18 points) in the region, after military forces ousted the elected government.

Liberia experienced the biggest score improvement (+4 points) in region.

Cabo Verde (92), Mauritius (85), São Tomé and Príncipe (84), Ghana (80), South Africa (79), and Seychelles (79) are the region’s highest-rated countries.

South Sudan (1), Eritrea (3), Equatorial Guinea (5), and the Central African Republic (5) are the lowest-rated countries in the region.

Only 7 percent of people in Africa live in Free countries, while 50 percent live in Not Free countries.

The report identifies a number of steps that democratic governments can take to protect and expand political rights and civil liberties around the globe. The recommendations include:

Provide steady support and flexible funding to those on the front lines of the struggle against tyranny. Democratic governments and donors must increase and sustain support for those working to defend and promote fundamental freedoms around the world. Failure to do so emboldens autocrats and can result in the loss of hard-won progress.



Uphold the rights of people living in disputed territories. The events of the past year in places such as Nagorno-Karabakh and the Gaza Strip provided stark evidence that populations without self-determination are at greater risk of extreme human rights abuses or atrocities.



Protect free and fair elections in 2024. At least 40 countries—representing more than two-fifths of the world’s population—are holding national-level elections in 2024, with many more conducting other types of balloting. Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of any democracy, and independent and transparent electoral processes are necessary to foster genuine competition and public trust.

View the report’s complete recommendations here.

Click here to read the global and other regionally focused press releases: Global, Americas, Asia-Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, Middle East.

To schedule an interview with Freedom House experts, please contact Maryam Iftikhar at [email protected].

Freedom House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to create a world where all are free. We inform the world about threats to freedom, mobilize global action, and support democracy’s defenders.

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[1] Url: https://freedomhouse.org/article/new-report-africa-marks-decade-decline-freedom-2023-being-marred-electoral-violence-and

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