Photo : Reuters
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Reuters
IN BRIEF
By Apoorva Sudhakar
France recalls ambassador from burkina Faso
On 26 January, France announced the recalling of its ambassador to Burkina Faso, two days after Paris agreed to comply with Ouadougou’s request to withdraw all French forces from the country within a month. The French Foreign Ministry said it was recalling the ambassador “for consultations on the state and perspectives of our bilateral relations.” (“France recalls ambassador from Burkina Faso after agreeing to withdraw troops,” France24, 26 January 2023)
Despite improvement in governance, democratic backsliding a concern, says Mo Ibrahim index
On 25 January, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation released its Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) 2022 edition. The IIAG highlighted that amid “widespread democratic backsliding,” Africa’s progress on human and economic development had also slowed. The IIAG maintained that though Africa had witnessed a “marginal improvement” in good governance since 2012, the trend had become a “flatline” since 2019. Further, the IIAG said: “Governments have been increasingly prone to infringe on rights, curb freedom of expression and association, and impose restrictions on civic space.” Nevertheless, more than 90 per cent of Africans live in countries where health, education, social protection and other criteria are better than 2012. (“Democracy ‘backsliding’ has slowed Africa’s development: study,” Al Jazeera, 26 January 2023)