EMBASSY AND DEMOCRATIC SUSTAINABILITY IN AFRICA

THE GAMBIAN EXPERIENCE

Abstract

 Democracy and good governance are concepts which are yet to be fully embraced by political leaders in Africa. The many troubles and political tensions which have sympathetically engulfed the landscape of Africa are tested proofs of the dilemma of democratization and democratic accountability in the continent. This paper aimed at ascertaining the role of the embassy in fostering pro-democratic interventions in troubled spots in Africa. Using the Gambia as a case study, the paper assessed the factors responsible for the difficulty of effecting a democratic transfer of power in that country and the legal implications of swearing-in a president-elect in an embassy out-side the domains of the affected country. Data for the study was generated through secondary sources and analyzed via content analysis. The study adopted the Relative Deprivation Model and the Resource Mobilization Theoretical Postulations in explaining the social movements in The Gambia in the aftermath of the December 2016 general elections. The paper found that non-restriction of the number of presidential terms in office by the Gambian constitution affects democratic accountability in the country. Urgent constitutional reforms and the establishment of a Permanent Regional Leadership Evaluation Committee in the West African sub-region are recommended.