The march of democracy slows
Threats to democratic rule in Africa are growing, but time and demography are against the autocrats
MUSIC blasts from speakers mounted on the back of a truck in a rubbish dump in a corner of Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. Young men with bandannas over their faces form a security cordon. Children climb on top of a dumpster to get a better view. A woman swigs from a bottle of local rum as she dances provocatively on the makeshift stage. A man in a suit steps up and the music stops. “Zambia!” he shouts. “Zambia!” roars back the crowd.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The march of democracy slows”
From the August 20th 2016 edition
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