In Africa's three most recent elections -- in Benin, Malawi and Mauritania -- ascendant leaders are seeking to consolidate authority, while trampling over the valid concerns and democratic aspirations of citizens.

We stand at a challenging time for democracy worldwide. Regardless of these pressures, we have seen that reality and truth still beats fake all over the world — which makes it crucially important for people to have real conversations on issues where they might not fully agree all the time.

Economic inequality is a problem across the world, but the extremes evident in Zimbabwe are in a select league of the extraordinary and the outrageous.

On this day forty-seven years ago, Cameroon ceased to be a federal republic and became instead a unitary state, essentially scrapping our 1961 constitution. May 20 is consequently a time in which Anglophones are reminded of this tragedy – the overall ruse that was employed to institutionalize the marginalization of their people.

Benin has long been considered a beacon of democracy on the African continent. However, following the parliamentary election that took place last month, there are valid and growing concerns that its democratic credentials are being eroded under President Patrice Talon.

I am asking that our international partners, media outlets and journalists, and fellow democrats worldwide to pay close attention to our election. I assure you that something is happening on the ground. Mauritanians are increasingly demanding and agitating for the democratic future that they deserve.

A healthy and sustainable democracy is absolutely essential for boosting the development prospects of a given country, including health and education indicators, as well as overall economic prospects. The sooner the donor world and its practitioners realizes this simple fact, the better.

The U.S. has been one of Tanzania's most consequential development partners since the earliest years of our independence in 1961. But all is not well, and this long-standing relationship is being severely compromised by increasing repression in Tanzania.

Instead of engaging in a much-needed dialogue with the political opposition, civil society, and Cameroon’s beleaguered business community, President Biya and the ruling cabal have doubled down. However, leaders in the United States, and elsewhere, have begun to speak up. This is no small feat.

In many respects, due to governmental repression, Gabon has indeed become an open prison for many of my fellow citizens. That our country has been ruled by the same family since 1967 has made a mockery of our constitution and to our founding democratic principles.

In Togo, the government of Faure Gnassingbe is cleverly managing the expectations of the international community in a highly manipulative way, restricting civil liberties within the country while making surface-level, seemingly positive adjustments to the long-ruling regime. Do not be fooled by the duplicity, writes guest blogger Wolali Ahlijah.

Nigeria is less than three weeks away from the country’s sixth presidential election since the military handed over rule in 1999. Despite this seeming progress, all is not well.

Every Zimbabwean, including Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who on January 12 announced steep fuel price hikes as part of government’s “Austerity for Prosperity” plan need to familiarize themselves with Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

In Togo, the coming months will likely remain tenuous, as the population grows increasingly impatient and combative, and determined to end the country's 52 years of single-family rule.

Despite winning with a miraculous 71% of the vote, President Biya’s external legitimacy is perhaps at the lowest level of his 36-year reign.

To be sure, reclaiming peace in Cameroon, and in turn, the Central African region, is of paramount importance today and moving forward. It is manifestly evident that the Biya government is both unwilling and incapable of achieving these necessary ends, which are being demanded by the country’s long beleaguered citizens, as well as neighboring countries.

Too often in Kenya, Big Man politics and the power exercised by those in elected office turns to abuse, rather than to caring for the needs and aspirations of those who queue to vote.

Across Africa, it is the supply side of democracy that is often missing. By focusing efforts on addressing this discrepancy, we can help empower citizens to take local ownership over the democratic process that can ultimately lead to a brighter, more prosperous and stable future for the continent.

Since Museveni seized power in 1986, many of his critics have been detained in unknown locations, beaten within an inch of their lives or died under suspicious circumstances.

The West African nation of Mauritania has never been widely viewed as a paragon of democracy in the region, but recent developments in the country have raised international concern.