Shrinking Civic Space in Africa: When Governments Crack Down on Civil Society

Abstract: A growing number of governments in sub-Saharan Africa are now cracking down on civil society organisations addressing human rights issues. Governments are not only shrinking the space for civic activism, but also des­troying the backbone of democracy and inclusive development. In many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, civic space has been shrinking since the early 2000s - mirroring a global trend of restrictions being imposed on civil society organisations. Governments intimidate and arrest activists, and publicly criticise their advocacy work. They also promulgate restrictive policies, such as laws that curtail the foreign funding of domestic civil society groups, and resort to subtle ways of restricting civil society's operating space - for instance, via cumbersome registration processes for civil society organisations. Civil society organisations monitor and publicly expose human rights abuses. If governments commit severe abuses, they therefore have an incentive to impose restri

Object Details

• Alternative title: Das Verschwinden zivilgesellschaftlicher Freiräume in Afrika
• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource, 11 S.
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Veröffentlichungsversion ; nicht begutachtet

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: GIGA Focus Afrika ; Bd. 4

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Politik

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Hamburg
• (when): 2018
• Creator: Smidt, Hannah
• Contributor: GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies - Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien, Institut für Afrika-Studien

Further information

• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-60572-3
• Rights: Open Access; Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 25.03.2025, 1:48 PM CET