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  Can a Democracy Become Authoritarian Through Elections? When people imagine the death of democracy, they often imagine soldiers in the streets, tanks surrounding parliament, a president arrested by generals, or a constitution suspended after a military coup. But modern democracy can die much more quietly. A government may come to power through a legitimate election. Its leader may receive millions of genuine votes. Parliament may continue meeting. Courts may remain open. Newspapers may continue publishing. Opposition parties may still technically exist. Elections may continue to be held. Yet, year by year, the system can become less democratic. Judges are replaced. Independent agencies lose their autonomy. Critical journalists face financial, regulatory, legal or political pressure. Public broadcasters become increasingly supportive of the government. Opposition politicians face investigations or administrative obstacles. Electoral laws are rewritten. Civil society organizations ...

  THE SAHEL- Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger: The Rise of a New Sahel Alliance. Could the Sahel Develop Its Own Independent Geopolitical Bloc? For decades, the political architecture of West Africa seemed relatively settled. The Economic Community of West African States—ECOWAS—was the region's principal political and economic organisation. France remained deeply influential in much of its former colonial sphere. The CFA franc connected several countries through a common monetary system. Western governments provided military assistance, development finance and counterterrorism support. Then Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger began moving in a dramatically different direction. Between 2020 and 2023, military takeovers transformed the governments of all three countries. Their disputes with ECOWAS intensified. Relations with France deteriorated. Western military deployments were reduced or terminated. The three governments increasingly embraced a political vocabulary built around sovereignty, s...

  Democracy, Governance, and Sovereignty- Sanctions and Sovereignty: Who Really Pays the Price? Sanctions have become one of the most prominent tools of modern foreign policy. Designed to influence political behavior without direct military intervention, they are often framed as a means of promoting accountability, democracy, and human rights. In the case of African states, many sanctions regimes are shaped or authorized through legislative and oversight mechanisms within the United States Congress, reflecting the broader foreign policy priorities of the United States. Yet beneath their stated objectives lies a persistent and complex question: Do sanctions reinforce sovereignty by encouraging better governance—or undermine it by imposing external pressure and economic hardship? More importantly, who actually bears the cost? The Logic of Sanctions: Pressure Without War Sanctions are typically imposed to: Deter unconstitutional changes of government Punish human rights violations En...