The Crisis of Democratization in the Greater Horn of Africa

Analyses the structural and institutional obstacles to democratization in transitional societies - fractured societies, fragmented economies and institutions of governance, weak or deformed state structures - and how to overcome these.

Analyses the structural and institutional obstacles to democratization in transitional societies - fractured societies, fragmented economies and institutions of governance, weak or deformed state structures - and how to overcome these.



In the early 1990s, a wave of democratization swept through many African countries, but its prevailing election-centred liberal approach failed to result in sustainable democracies. Why should this be and what can be done about it? This multi-disciplinary work on the Greater Horn investigates the impact on the efforts to bring greater democratization of the characteristically complex socio-economic state structures of the countries of the Greater Horn of Africa and, importantly, suggests an alternative, more effective, approach.
Detailed studies of Ethiopia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda reveal the difficulties posed by institutional structures that are often weak and lack accountability; fragmented economies - which range from modern capitalist to subsistence farming and pastoral systems; and governance marked by differing conceptions of property rights and conflict adjudication practices and varied resource allocation systems. Chronic violent ethnic-based civil wars and social conflicts and deep-rooted ethnic divisions only exacerbate the states' ability to foster democratic governance, or even to manage diversity properly. The contributors examine why the countries of the Horn have been unable to overcome these obstacles to democratization and explore how and why an alternative approach is more likely tobe compatible with the socioeconomic realities and cultural values in transitional societies.

Kidane Mengisteab is Professor of African Studies and Political Science at Pennsylvania State University. He is co-editor ofRegional Integration, Identity and Citizenship in the Greater Horn of Africa (James Currey, 2012) and, most recentlyTraditional Institutions in Contemporary African Governance (2017).

Introduction: Structural and Institutional Factors in the Crisis of Democratization in the Greater Horn of Africa - Kidane Mengisteab
Problematizing "Liberation" and Democratization in Post-independenceEritrea - Gaim Kibreab
Prospects for Democracy in the Newest Country, South Sudan - Leben Nelson Moro and Kuyang Harriet Logo
The Quest for Alternatives in Overcoming the Democratization Deficit in Ethiopia - Kassahun Berhanu
Parliament-Public Engagement in Ethiopia: A Weak Link in Democratic Transformation - Meheret Ayenew
Challenges and Prospects of Democratization in Sudan - Amr M A Mahgoub Mahgoub
A Caring Patronage System for the Sudanese Democratization Process: Compilation of Incompatibles? by Asma Hussein M. Adam - Asma Hussein M. Adam
Contestation of Democracy in Kenya - Macharia Munene
Understanding the Three Paradoxical Trajectories: Democracy, Clan, and Islam in the State-Building Process of Somaliland - Mohamed A. Mohamoud Mohamoud
Developing an Alternative Approach to Democratization in the Transitional Societies of the Greater Horn - Kidane Mengisteab
Conclusion - Kidane Mengisteab