Building Democracy in Africa

Senegal is the only black African country never to have had revolution or a military coup.
Since its independence from France, the country has established a multitude of political
parties and regular organization of presidential and legislative elections. As result there
have been 10 presidential elections and four democratically elected presidents. Today,
Senegal is seen as a rare model of democracy in a continent better known for confl ict
and coups d'états.
This essay
- Discusses how Senegal has managed to stay much more democratic than other
countries in the region.
- Draws lessons from Senegal's experience.