부산대학교 도서관

There have been 35 presidential extensions across 24 countries in Africa from 1960 to 2022, done through four categories of extension mechanisms. Most extensions occur in francophone countries, where heads-of-state govern for up to four decades and beyond, propped up by French foreign policy pacts or bilateral defense agreements which station French bases that ward of insurrections against perennial presidents. This has gestated political discontent and festered conflicts in francophone territory, to the point of being conflict-prone and terrorist enclaves. In the process, francophone Africa has attracted US drone bases for supposed counterterrorism, while Wagner mercenaries have taken up roles in countries where French Legions failed and departed. As a result, African countries have become willing or unwilling actors in the foreign policy agendas of the French, Americans, and Russians whose legions they host. Meanwhile, the African Union has the institutional frameworks to address the phenomenon of presidential extensions, but the political will is not forthcoming because the AU Assembly itself consists of several incorrigible presidents who are governing in extensions and do not want change. Plain Language Summary: The purpose of this article is to share the results of a mapping conducted on presidential extensions across Africa. The presidential system of government is the most practised globally, usually with term limits, Extensions to term limits have become rife in Africa, which prompted this mapping to explore the phenomenon and investigate the issue. It turned out that the phenomenon dates from the 1960s independence wave when the first crop of African presidents emerged. Coincidentally, the majority of presidential extensions turned out to be in francophone states, which also prompted further investigation as to why. All data has been generated by exploring the political histories of African countries, which revealed 35 extensions across 24 countries that have experienced an extension of the duration of their head-of-state beyond the maximum term(s) stipulated when they first took office. The implications are quite clear that the French connection plays a major foreign policy role in the pervading trend of extensions within francophone Africa which has become prone to conflict as a result. Also notable is the beneficiary link to the US in terms of drone base locations. However, the potential for the African Union's existing institutional framework and the continent's justice mechanisms to troubleshoot the trend of controversial constitutional referendums and their related presidential extensions depends very much on the political will of the Assembly of Heads-of-State and Government. A serious thought at the extent to which Africa is prepared to look within itself for the solution to redressing presidential extensions is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]