Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, presidential term limits have emerged as a key indicator for the health of a country's democracy. In countries ranging from Côte d'Ivoire to Rwanda to Uganda, successful efforts to subvert constitutional term limits have paved the way for presidents to remain in power indefinitely, often leading to a consolidation of power in the executive branch and restricted civic space. Since 2019, NDI's Term Limits Initiative has supported citizen awareness and support for constitutionalism and democratic norms across sub-Saharan Africa through both high-level political engagement and grassroots activism. Through innovative forms of collaboration and civic campaigns, civil society organizations and research institutions from a broad range of African countries – including Burkina Faso, Kenya, Togo, and South Africa – have taken concrete actions to strengthen respect for constitutionalism in Africa. With support from NDI, program partners consolidated research on constitutional term limits across Africa, lobbied for provisions mandating term limits at the level of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and secured public commitments from sitting presidents in countries including Botswana and Benin to respect their constitutional term limits. These public commitments serve to challenge a prevailing narrative of democratic backsliding across the continent while providing citizens with concrete examples of strong democratic values.

From December 2 to 4, 2024, NDI's network of partners co-organized the 3rd Biennial Congress of the African Network of Constitutional Lawyers in Dakar, Senegal. The 3-day constitutional symposium saw over 250 students and professors, constitutional lawyers and judges, civil society leaders, and former heads of state gather at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal, to debate the role and form of constitutionalism in Africa today. Constitutional researchers from over 20 African countries presented novel research and perspectives, arguing for a critical review and urgent self-reflection on modern constitutional trends in Africa.

Over three full days, participants took part in plenary sessions and small group discussions with leading experts in the field. Dr. Jorge Fonseca – former president of the Republic of Cabo Verde – shared lessons from the constitutional reform process in Cabo Verde and presented key experiences from his time in the statehouse. Professor Danièle Darlan – former president of the constitutional court of the Central African Republic – underscored the importance of an independent constitutional court as a bulwark against executive overreach, drawing from her own experience as the head of her country's highest court. Finally, civil society leaders from the Term Limits Initiative's community of practice compared the diverse strategies they continue to employ to mobilize support for constitutional norms and democratic values among everyday citizens in their countries. Beyond serving as a forum for participants to share experiences and present novel constitutional research, the conference forged and strengthened new partnerships between researchers and activists that will enable sustained engagement well beyond the confines of the event.

The Term Limits Initiative continues to serve as an innovative model for regional programming, serving as a platform for diverse stakeholder groups to collaborate towards the common goal of leveraging constitutionalism to promote core democratic values. In an era where democracy is increasingly under threat, programs such as the Term Limits Initiative provide platforms for African activists, academics, and political leaders alike to transcend national and linguistic boundaries and work together toward a common goal. Looking forward, the initiative will continue to expand its programmatic objectives with a particular focus on targeting student groups as the next generation of constitutional leaders on the continent.

Author: James Stewart, Senior Program Manager for the Central & West Africa team

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NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that works in partnership around the world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms and values to secure a better quality of life for all. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all.