How African leaders tighten grip on power by stifling opposition

Across Africa, a growing number of leaders are tightening their grip on power by suppressing opposition and dismantling democratic institutions. Recent developments in countries like Cameroon, Tanzania, the Ivory Coast, Mali, and Guinea reveal a troubling pattern of authoritarian entrenchment.   Cameroon: Biya’s 5-decade rule and electoral disputes President Paul Biya was reelected for an […]

Across Africa, a growing number of leaders are tightening their grip on power by suppressing opposition and dismantling democratic institutions. Recent developments in countries like Cameroon, Tanzania, the Ivory Coast, Mali, and Guinea reveal a troubling pattern of authoritarian entrenchment.

 

Cameroon: Biya’s 5-decade rule and electoral disputes

President Paul Biya was reelected for an eighth term in Cameroon’s October 12, 2025, election, amid deadly protests, opposition rejection, and mounting concerns over democratic decline.

On October 27, 2025, Cameroon’s Constitutional Council declared President Biya, 92, the winner of the October 12 presidential election, securing 53.66% of the vote. His closest rival, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former ally turned opposition candidate, received 35.19%. Biya was officially sworn in on November 5, extending his rule to 2032, which would mark nearly 50 years in power.

The election has been widely criticised for irregularities and violence. Bakary claimed victory based on his own tally and called for demonstrations. In the days following the announcement, clashes between opposition supporters and security forces erupted in cities like Douala and Garoua, resulting in at least four deaths and multiple injuries. Protesters reported the use of live ammunition by security forces, while Bakary alleged gunfire near his residence, though details remain unclear.

 

 Tanzania: Suluhu jails key opposition figures

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in for a second term on November 3, 2025, amid deadly unrest, opposition exclusion, and growing concerns over democratic backsliding in Tanzania.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan secured a landslide victory with 97.66% of the vote in Tanzania’s October 29, 2025, general election. Her inauguration, held on November 3 at the Tanzania People’s Defence Force parade grounds in Dodoma, was a tightly controlled event marked by heavy security, a nationwide internet blackout, and violent clashes that left hundreds dead and thousands injured.

The election was marred by widespread allegations of opposition suppression. Key opposition figures such as Mwalim Salum Juma of the CHAUMMA party, who received just 0.66% of the vote, were either barred from campaigning, detained, or excluded from meaningful participation. Civic groups and international observers reported that many opposition candidates were disqualified on technical grounds, and protests erupted across major cities during and after the vote.

Eyewitness accounts and civil society organisations accused security forces of using excessive force to quell demonstrations, with reports of missing persons, mostly young men, surfacing in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, and Mwanza.

Suluhu, once hailed as a reformist following the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, in 2021, has faced mounting criticism for tightening control over political expression.

 

 Ivory Coast: Ouattara’s controversial fourth term

President Alassane Ouattara was reelected for a fourth term in the Ivory Coast’s October 2025 election, amid controversy over opposition exclusion and constitutional concerns.

President Ouattara, 83, secured 89.77% of the vote, according to the Independent Electoral Commission and confirmed by the Constitutional Council on November 4, 2025. His reelection has reignited debates over the legality and legitimacy of his extended rule, especially as two major opposition figures, former President Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam, were barred from contesting the election.

Gbagbo, who led the country from 2000 to 2011, had announced his return to politics in March 2024, leading the African People’s Party – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI). Thiam, a prominent technocrat, had also declared his candidacy under the Parti Démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI).

However, both were disqualified by the courts, prompting them to form a united opposition front in June 2025, demanding electoral reforms and inclusion.

The election was marked by low voter turnout, estimated at around 50%, and protests over the exclusion of key rivals. Critics argue that Ouattara’s claim that the 2016 constitutional reforms reset term limits is a legal manoeuvre to prolong his rule.

 

Mali: Democracy dismantled by military junta

Mali’s democratic institutions have been systematically dismantled by the military junta led by Gen. Assimi Goïta, who seized power in 2021. On April 30, 2025, the junta repealed the charter governing political parties, and by May 13, it formally dissolved all political parties and associations.

This followed a government-organised national consultation, boycotted by most political actors, which recommended that Goïta remain president for a renewable five-year term. The junta also suspended all election planning, citing the need to “pacify” the country. These moves have been widely condemned as a sham process to entrench military rule.

 

Guinea: Doumbouya’s civilian disguise

Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who led a coup in 2021, officially declared his candidacy for Guinea’s December 28, 2025, presidential election, despite earlier promises not to run. His candidacy, submitted at the Supreme Court in Conakry amid a show of military force, has drawn criticism from opposition groups who view it as an attempt to civilianize military rule.

While Doumbouya has promoted anti-corruption and reform, critics argue that his extended transition period and now his candidacy reflect a pattern of democratic backsliding.

 

 Common tactics of power consolidation

Across these African countries, observers say leaders are increasingly relying on a familiar playbook to consolidate power and extend their rule. This includes manipulating constitutions to bypass term limits, employing electoral violence and intimidation to silence dissent, and erecting legal and institutional barriers to exclude opposition candidates from the political process.

In addition, many regimes impose strict media censorship and restrict the activities of civil society organisations, further stifling democratic engagement. These tactics not only undermine the integrity of democratic institutions but also erode public trust and heighten the risk of political instability and unrest.