The recent spate of political uprisings in the Arab world occurred in response to decades of entrenched authoritarian rule and the continued repression of political rights and civil liberties. This unprecedented clamour for change resulted in a number of long-serving Arab rulers being ousted from political office, fuelling hope for political pluralism and the institutionalisation of good governance in the Arab world. 

At the same time, questions have developed around the longevity of authoritarian rule in some states in sub-Saharan Africa. Cameroon, under dictatorial leader Paul Biya,  is one such county. Since coming to power in 1982, Biya has ruled Cameroon with an iron grip, maintaining a “cosmetic” display of democracy through holding intermittent elections, unilaterally amending constitutional provisions and systematically neutralising possible threats posed by opposition forces. In light of this, a question emerges: What is the possibility of an Arab-style uprising spreading beyond the shores of North Africa and the Middle East to bring about much-needed political change in Cameroon?

Ojima Salifu holds an Honours degree and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria. In her dissertation she assesses the quality of democracy in Ghana, with a view to establishing a comprehensive framework for measuring the quality of African democracy. Ms Salifu is an assistant lecturer in the Department of Political Sciences.

Date: 28 September 2011
Time: 14h00-15h00
Venue: Seminar Room (HSB 21-16), Department of Political Sciences