'Enlightened' West African dictatorship challenged by state capture? Insights from Benin, Togo and Senegal

Abstract: Populist nationalism is on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa. Depending on the political orientation, it is both reinforced and confronted by social media and social movements. Nationalism also cements the longstanding rule of autocratic regimes in West Africa, particularly in Togo, Benin and Senegal. Supported by the commodification of the party system, autocrats set up a shadow state. They use populism to prop up their illegitimate rule and to destabilize the opposition. The internet and social media play a crucial role in the spread of fake news through the mostly state-controlled media. The Catholic Church also tried, with little success, to counteract the wave of nationalism. In Benin, for example, in 2019 the bishops of Cotonou called for a ‘fast on the lies that inundate and poison interpersonal and social relationships’. In Lomé, the bishops' conference condemned the systematic persecution of the opposition and the arrest of its leader, presidential candidate and former prime

Object Details

• Alternative title: 'Aufgeklärte' westafrikanische Diktaturen herausgefordert durch die Entstehung eines Schattenstaates? Einblicke aus Benin, Togo und Senegal
• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource, 40 S.
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Preprint ; nicht begutachtet

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Politik

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Mannheim
• (who): SSOAR, GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften e.V.
• (when): 2022
• Creator: Kohnert, Dirk

Further information

• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-81782-2
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 25.03.2025, 1:50 PM CET