Questions communes de gouvernance politique africaine : Leçons des six premiers rapports du MAEP

This research paper by Yarik Turianskyi of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) analyzes common political governance issues in six African states—Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, Algeria, South Africa, and Benin—based on their first National Review Reports (NRR) from the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The author argues that there is a significant gap between constitutional intentions and practical reality, primarily due to a lack of 'constitutionalism,' which allows the executive branch to dominate the legislative and judicial branches.

• The primary governance failure across the examined African states is a lack of 'constitutionalism,' defined as the absence of a strict set of rules to limit and control government authority. This results in a systemic imbalance where the executive branch dominates, reducing the effectiveness of the legislature as a check and balance and compromising judicial independence.
• While all six evaluated states include the separation of powers in their constitutions, this principle is frequently ignored in practice. In Algeria, the President can legislate by decree without parliamentary consent; in Benin, the President exerts marked influence over the legislature and judiciary; and in Ghana, the fusion of branches is evident as a majority of ministers are also members of parliament.
• Corruption is a systemic and cross-cutting issue in all six states, often driven by low public sector salaries that lead employees to seek additional income. Kenya is perceived as the most corrupt of the group, with corruption present across all government departments, the military, and the judiciary.
• Electoral systems and practices are flawed across the evaluated countries. In Kenya, the lack of transparency in creating constituencies has led to suspicions of political manipulation. In South Africa, the proportional representation system and the practice of 'party switching' are noted to erode the link between voters and parliamentarians.
• Human rights violations are common, particularly regarding women and children. Violence against women is reported in all six countries, and gender inequality is listed as a cross-cutting issue in Algeria, Benin, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. Children face risks of trafficking, prostitution, and economic exploitation in five of the six states.
• Land ownership and tenure are sources of conflict in all examined states. Specific issues include the restitution of nationalized lands in Algeria, legal defects in rural land governance in Benin, and the politization of land rights exacerbated by ethnic dimensions in Kenya.
• Public service delivery is hindered by bureaucracy, lack of decentralization, and nepotism. In Algeria and Benin, ineffective decentralization and the lack of local autonomy are highlighted. Rwanda's public service faces challenges regarding a lack of institutional memory and inadequate archives.
• The author questions the effectiveness of the APRM because member states often ignore its recommendations. For example, the APRM identified potential ethnic violence in Kenya and xenophobic violence in South Africa, yet both events occurred because governments failed to act on the reports.

APA

Turianskyi, Y. (2009). Questions communes de gouvernance politique africaine : Leçons des six premiers rapports du MAEP. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Occasional-Paper-28-FR.pdf

Chicago

Turianskyi, Yarik. Questions communes de gouvernance politique africaine : Leçons des six premiers rapports du MAEP. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2009. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Occasional-Paper-28-FR.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Turianskyi |first1=Yarik |title=Questions communes de gouvernance politique africaine : Leçons des six premiers rapports du MAEP |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=March 2009 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Occasional-Paper-28-FR.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{turianskyi2009questions, author = {Turianskyi, Yarik}, title = {{Questions communes de gouvernance politique africaine : Leçons des six premiers rapports du MAEP}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Occasional-Paper-28-FR.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }