A protester jumps ahead of a marching crowd during a demonstration against ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Algeria on Friday. But Algeria and Sudan seem to be only the tip of the iceberg—over the past several months, some of the longest-standing African autocracies have had their foundations shaken. This research has concluded that three main elements lead to successful uprisings: the leading role of youth movements, unity and diversity, and long-term strategies not only to win but to consolidate the path to democracy. Two more factors have been integral to the recent wave of uprisings across Africa: the relatively high proportion of youth, and high levels of unemployment. Not only have we seen geographical, educational, and economic diversity from popular movements in Sudan and Algeria, but also the unprecedented role of women’s participation, a relatively new and thrilling phenomenon.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 22, 2019 21:00 UTC