Africa This Month: The Season of Elections, Hope and Change

"Even as economic turmoil buffets the continent, elections are the flavor of the season as big men start to tumble from their thrones.

Twelve fateful months ago, the authors decided they would tell a new “story of Africa with its multitudinous cadences and intricate plots.” Over the last 11 editions of Africa This Month, many themes have bubbled up to the surface. The wobbly global economy has taken its toll on Africa. Both Brexit and the election of Donald Trump have created uncertain and interesting times for this great continent. The issue of justice has rumbled on through the year with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in near-constant spotlight.

Yet perhaps the hulking theme this year has been democracy. In the January edition of Africa This Month, the authors pointed out that 19 general elections were scheduled in 2016. They have all now taken place. Some were largely free, some not so free and some not free at all. But the fact that they took place at all is a reaffirmation of the continent’s commitment to the overarching path of inclusive representation. Labels such as the “Dark Continent” are now antiquated as the dominance of the proverbial “Big Men” begins to wane."