Democracy is an enigma in contemporary Africa. Although elements
of democracy existed in African politics in the pre-colonial
times, the European penetration and subsequent colonization
provided the gateway for the prevalence of Western form of
democracy with the practice of the parliamentary system. As each
African state gained independence, beginning from the mid-
twentieth century, political leaders mostly followed the Western
democratic process. Africans now choose their leaders through
electoral processes, but other pertinent factors make the full
practice of democracy difficult. The purpose of Democracy in
Africa is to assess the level of democratic practice and to
identify and analyze the political changes and challenges facing
African countries. Shortly after independence, many African
nations experienced political turmoil through military
intervention in politics, which directly suspended democratic
process. The popular uprisings and crises in North Africa,
mainly in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, bear te