Multiparty democracy, Niger style
According to the Centre for Democracy and Development, Niger is an example of a successful multiparty democracy where the opposition acted as a safeguard against the ruling party turning dictatorial.
"The presidential elections in the Republic of Niger presents a ... scenario in which the opposition demonstrated a cohesiveness that ensured a victory for their leaders, Mahamadou Issoufou of the PNDS party against Seini Oumarou of MNSD who was said to have strong ties to Mohmoud Tandia the ousted former president.
Sources:
Centre for Development and Democracy, April 2011, Pgs. 8-9http://newsletters.clearsignals.org/CDD_April2011.pdf#page=8
Food crisis in wake of flooding not met with sufficient aid
UN calls for emergency relief funds have gone unheard by the global community and only 1/3 of what was sought has arrived.
Sources:
Center for Democracy and Development, July 2010 pg. 10:http://newsletters.clearsignals.org/CDD_July2010.pdf#page=10
Http://www.apanews.net/spip.php ?article128239
Election Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa
The global north has in the last decade clung to elections, free and fair elections, as the number one marker of democratic progress. Problems however arise when categorizing an election as fair, and what happens when the fairly elected leader leads by patronage (that is placing the interests of his or her tribe or clan above everyone else's)?
Sources:
Center for Democracy and Development, Nov. 2010 pgs. 4-5:http://newsletters.clearsignals.org/CDD_Nov2010.pdf#page=4
Congo:
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/Africa-Monitor/2011/0214/Congo-may-be-poorer-than-Egypt-but-that-s-not-enough-to-turn-Kinshasa-into-Cairo
Gabon:
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/Africa-Monitor/2011/0212/Now-that-Egypt-s-Mubarak-is-out-could-Gabon-s-Bongo-be-next
"Ripeness":
Ripe for Resolution: Conflict and Intervention in Africa by William Zartman
