GIGA Focus Afrika
Smart Machines, Old Tricks: How Digital Tools Reinforce Africa’s Electoral Problems
Elections in sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly shaped by digital technologies, from biometric registration to electronic voter identification. Yet, rather than resolving longstanding challenges, these reforms often reproduce and sometimes intensify problems of trust, transparency, and contestation. This paper shows that the politics behind digitalisation, not the technology itself, determines whether it strengthens or undermines electoral integrity.
Welt Sichten
The military is the president's most important support
In this interview, I discuss the evolving role of the military in shaping political authority in Central Africa, focusing on Gabon’s post-coup transition. I argue that despite reformist rhetoric, the current leadership is consolidating power through control of key institutions, while elections remain managed rather than fully competitive. The analysis highlights how military-backed regimes in the region prioritize stability and elite control over democratic accountability.
GIGA PEXP Dashboard
On this dashboard, my colleagues and I show how the COVID-19 pandemic created new opportunities for executives to personalise power across the Global South. Covering 32 countries, the project maps when and how leaders expanded their power during the crisis, highlighting how emergency measures often reinforced executive dominance, especially in contexts where institutional constraints were already weak.
GIGA Insight
Change of Power in Senegal: What Bassirou Diomaye Faye Will Do for the Country
In this interview, I analyse the unexpected rise of Bassirou Diomaye Faye and what his election means for Senegal and the wider region. I argue that while his victory reflects strong public demand for political change, the new administration faces significant constraints and high expectations, making meaningful reform both urgent and uncertain.
GIGA Focus Afrika
Ten Things to Watch in Africa in 2024
In this paper, my colleagues and I identify the key political, economic, and security trends shaping Africa in 2024. We show that while elections, economic growth, and technological change offer opportunities, rising conflict risks, democratic pressures, and shifting global alliances will define the continent’s trajectory. The analysis highlights how domestic dynamics and international transformations interact to create both uncertainty and new possibilities.
GIGA Focus Afrika
Overpromising and Underdelivering? Digital Technology in Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential Election
In this paper, I examine whether digital technologies improved the credibility of Nigeria’s 2023 presidential elections. While tools such as biometric voter accreditation and real-time result portals promised greater transparency, I show that technical failures, implementation gaps, and persistent distrust ultimately undermined these expectations. The analysis highlights how technology alone cannot resolve deeper political and institutional challenges shaping electoral integrity.
Fluter.de
In this interview, I discuss the emergence of the #FixTheCountry movement in Ghana and what it reveals about youth frustration with economic hardship and political leadership. I highlight how widespread unemployment, rising living costs, and perceived government inaction have driven young people to mobilise both online and on the streets, while also noting the movement’s limited impact so far in translating protest into concrete policy change.
Australian Outlook
Pseudo Messiahs and the Colonial Military legacy In Africa’s democracy weakness
In this piece, my colleague and I examine how the colonial legacy of military institutions continues to shape democratic weakness in Africa. We argue that militaries, originally designed to protect ruling elites and suppress dissent, remain central to both civilian misrule and recurring coups, often presenting themselves as “saviours” while reinforcing cycles of authoritarianism. The analysis highlights how enduring military influence undermines accountability and limits the consolidation of democratic governance.
Democracy in Africa
The disconnect between Ghanaian parliamentarians and their constituencies
In this piece, I analyse the persistent disconnect between Ghanaian parliamentarians and their constituents, despite institutional arrangements designed to foster close representation. I argue that internal party primaries—dominated by small groups of delegates and patronage politics—shift MPs’ incentives away from voters and toward party actors. This dynamic weakens accountability and undermines the representative link at the core of Ghana’s democracy.
Conversation Africa
Why members of parliament in Ghana can get away with ignoring voters
In this piece, I examine why many Members of Parliament in Ghana can ignore voters without consequence, showing how party nomination processes and “safe” seats shift incentives away from constituency accountability.