2020 was a profoundly challenging one for democracy and its many defenders around the world, including in Africa. As we discussed and warned on our very first episode of the Resistance Bureau, authoritarian leaders across the continent manipulated the threat of covid-19 to roll back political rights and civil liberties while entrenching their repressive rule.

What is more, elections across the continent in Togo, Burundi, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Tanzania – among others – were far from free and fair, drawing rightful criticism from citizens and outside observers alike. Yet Africa was also home to the only country in the world, according to Freedom House, to make progress on democracy over the last 12 months: Malawi. And we have also seen new forms of protest and civic resistance emerge in countries as varied as Nigeria and Zimbabwe, as well as Zambia, which faces a critical election in August 2021.

As well as looking back at the lessons we learned for resisting authoritarian rule and democratic backsliding, we will also highlight the main issues to look out for in 2021.

To be sure, the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, has been one of the most democratic regional groupings in all of Africa. According to Freedom House, no region in Africa has made more democratic progress over the last quarter century. I personally recall hopes in the region being especially high as recently as 2017, when solidarity, backed up by the threat of military intervention, helped to force out The Gambia’s then long-ruling dictator, Yahya Jammeh, after he had lost an historic election.

In this program we examine why democracy is facing these and similar setbacks across the region. Just as importantly, we look at the ways in which civil society, human rights defenders and opposition political parties are fighting back against these encroachments. We also look to Ghana, still a democratic beacon for the continent, for lessons about how to strengthen democracy, and to look ahead as the country gears up for general elections next month.

American democracy is under threat. From Day 1, President Donald Trump has undermined the spirit, and in some cases, the letter of the United States constitution, all while stoking political polarization and racial tensions. As American citizens gear up for an election on November 3, the Trump Administration is now undermining public confidence in the electoral system and suggesting that he may not peacefully step aside should he lose at the polls. These moves are straight from the playbooks of dictators and despots rather than democrats, and it suggests that the US will have a contested election, increasing the prospects of violence. This episode will assess these mounting threats and determine what lessons and expertise that Africans can share with Americans about how to effectively defend democracy, ensure the rule of law, and promote national healing.

Around the world, women leaders are more likely to be the targets of hate speech and sexual assault. In Africa specifically, they are also less likely to be included in senior government positions. This situation has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has included a spike in gender-based violence and a disproportionate decline in wage earnings. Yet women have continued to come to the fore as outspoken, courageous leaders to challenge the status quo and to lead where their male counterparts have often hesitated. This all-female episode will shine a light on the incredible work being done to resist the patriarchy in Africa and discuss how the pandemic may present an opportunity to forge more equitable societies.

This episode features some of Africa's most respected civil liberties advocates, including Boniface Mwangi (Kenya), Comfort Musa (Cameroon), Fred Muvunyi (Rwanda) and Laura Miti (Zambia).

Special guests Bobi Wine (Uganda), Tundu Lissu (Tanzania) and Fadzayi Mahere (Zimbabwe) — several of Africa’s most outspoken pro-democracy leaders — join us to discuss rising authoritarianism and how to effectively push back.