AFRICAN ACCOUNTABILITY

The report provides an 'Afro-realistic' analysis of accountability in Africa, contrasting the potential of continental initiatives like the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and Agenda 2063 with the practical challenges of domestic implementation. It investigates the roles of the African Union (AU), national parliaments, ombudsman offices, and civil society in curbing executive power and ensuring sustainable peace. The text highlights a tension between economic development and democratic governance, noting that while some states achieve growth, it often occurs at the expense of human rights.

• The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), established in 2003, has successfully produced honest and comprehensive reviews of member states, but the implementation of the resulting National Programmes of Action (NPoA) has been deficient in most cases.
• There is a noted shift in African political discourse where economic development is prioritized over good governance and human rights, partly influenced by the rise of investors like China and Russia who do not emphasize democratic values.
• While the frequency of coups in Africa has declined since the turn of the millennium, the continent remains under threat from unconstitutional changes of government.
• The African Union (AU) acts as a 'norm entrepreneur' through initiatives like Agenda 2063, but achieving these goals requires African governments to be willing to pool their sovereignty to the AU as a supranational authority.
• Domestic accountability is often hampered by weak parliaments that fail to use their constitutional oversight powers, effectively granting strong presidents extensive and unchecked power.
• Civil society is increasingly critical for public accountability, yet many African governments respond with hostility, attempting to regulate or undermine the sector, which threatens sustainable peace.

APA

Gruzd, S., & Turianskyi, Y. (2015). AFRICAN ACCOUNTABILITY. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Extract_Accountability_Print-pdf-REV.pdf

Chicago

Gruzd, Steven, and Yarik Turianskyi. AFRICAN ACCOUNTABILITY. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Extract_Accountability_Print-pdf-REV.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gruzd |first1=Steven |last2=Turianskyi |first2=Yarik |title=AFRICAN ACCOUNTABILITY |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Extract_Accountability_Print-pdf-REV.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gruzd2015african, author = {Gruzd, Steven and Turianskyi, Yarik}, title = {{AFRICAN ACCOUNTABILITY}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Extract_Accountability_Print-pdf-REV.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }