# Achille Mbembe, historian: ‘We must counter the misconception that democracy is anti-African’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/achille-mbembe-historian-we-must-counter-the-misconception-that-democracy-is-anti-african/
- Published: 2026-11-03T10:00:10+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T18:48:32+00:00
- Original publisher: Le Monde (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2026/11/03/achille-mbembe-historian-we-must-counter-the-misconception-that-democracy-is-anti-african_6769996_124.html
- Topics: Africa, World

## Key points

- Mbembe rejects the claim that democracy is alien to Africa.
- He links anti-colonial politics to demands for democratic self-rule.
- He calls for democratic models grounded in African histories and traditions.

## Summary

Cameroonian historian and philosopher Achille Mbembe says the claim that democracy is alien to Africa misrepresents the continent’s history. In an interview published on 3 November 2026, he argues that anti-colonial and pan-African movements once joined demands for self-determination with a promise of democracy. He says some leaders later portrayed democracy as an imported obstacle to development, while appeals to sovereignty are still used to dismiss it. Although several African countries have seen peaceful changes of government, Mbembe believes authoritarian rule remains deeply entrenched.

Mbembe, who directs the Foundation for Innovation in Democracy, calls for democratic ideas to be developed through African histories, languages and political traditions, while drawing on useful elements of liberal democracy. He says the foundation is documenting how democratic principles have been practised in African societies before and after colonial rule. The interview was published alongside the Council of Europe’s World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg on 2–3 November, where participants discussed threats to democratic institutions and ways to strengthen them.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.