아프리카의 민주혁명

Africa in transition. Just as the colonial expansion of the western powers shaped the continent's fate in the past, the wave of democratization of the post-Cold War ear in having a defining influence on its present course. The development model of one-party rule has lost its relevance and appeal, and the western democratic system has presented itself as the way toward political stability and economic growth of the countries of the continent. However, Africa's acceptance of democratization has not been driven by the growth of civic forces or the maturing of party politics. These and other conditions of democracy have yet to be obtained in Africa. Africa's transition toward democracy requires liberalization in the domestic political arena and the establishment of institutions to channel the conflict and cooperation among the diverse political forces. This is the only road open to overcoming the tribal, ethnic and religious conflicts and the negative legacies of the forced modernization. The primary determinants of the social dynamics in most African countries continue to be tribal and ethnic. The road to democracy lies not in the suppression of the divisive forces, but in the establishment of institutions through which political strife can be played out and resolved.