Table of African Countries*
Comparative Measures of Freedom
up or down indicates a change in Political Rights, Civil Liberties, or Status since the last survey. In the Table, click
on the number preceding the arrow for an explanation of the rating and/or status change in the selected country. A rating
of 1 represents the most free and 7 the least free rating.
Trend Arrows indicate general positive or negative trends since the previous survey that are not
necessarily reflected in the raw points and do not warrant a ratings change.
| Trend |
Country |
Political Rights |
Civil Liberties |
Status |
|
Angola |
6 |
5 |
Not Free |
|
Benin |
2 |
2 |
Free |
|
Botswana |
3 |
2 |
Free |
|
Burkina Faso |
5 |
3 |
Partly Free |
|
Burundi |
5 |
5 |
Partly Free |
|
Cameroon |
6 |
6 |
Not Free |
|
Cape Verde |
1 |
1 |
Free |
|
Central African Rep. |
5 |
5 |
Partly Free |
|
Chad |
7 |
6 |
Not Free |
|
Comoros |
3 |
4 |
Partly Free |
|
Congo-Brazzaville |
6 |
5 |
Not Free |
|
Congo-Kinshasa |
6 |
6 |
Not Free |
|
Côte d'Ivoire |
7 |
6 |
Not Free |
|
Djibouti |
6 |
5 |
Not Free |
|
Equatorial Guinea |
7 |
7 |
Not Free |
|
Eritrea |
7 |
7 |
Not Free |
|
Ethiopia |
6 |
6 |
Not Free |
|
Gabon |
6 |
5 |
Not Free |
|
The Gambia |
5 |
5 |
Partly Free |
|
Ghana |
1 |
2 |
Free |
|
Guinea |
5 |
5 |
Partly Free |
 |
Guinea-Bissau |
4 |
4 |
Partly Free |
|
Kenya |
4 |
3 |
Partly Free |
|
Lesotho |
3 |
3 |
Partly Free |
|
Liberia |
3 |
4 |
Partly Free |
|
Madagascar |
6 |
4 |
Partly Free |
|
Malawi |
3 |
4 |
Partly Free |
|
Mali |
2 |
3 |
Free |
|
Mauritania |
6 |
5 |
Not Free |
|
Mauritius |
1 |
2 |
Free |
|
Mozambique |
4 |
3 |
Partly Free |
|
Namibia |
2 |
2 |
Free |
|
Niger |
5 |
4 |
Partly Free |
|
Nigeria |
4 |
4 |
Partly Free |
|
Rwanda |
6 |
5 |
Not Free |
|
São Tomé & Príncipe |
2 |
2 |
Free |
|
Senegal |
3 |
3 |
Partly Free |
|
Seychelles |
3 |
3 |
Partly Free |
|
Sierra Leone |
3 |
3 |
Partly Free |
|
Somalia |
7 |
7 |
Not Free |
|
Somaliland |
4 |
5 |
Partly Free |
|
South Africa |
2 |
2 |
Free |
|
Sudan |
7 |
7 |
Not Free |
|
Swaziland |
7 |
5 |
Not Free |
|
Tanzania |
3 |
3 |
Partly Free |
|
Togo |
5 |
4 |
Partly Free |
|
Uganda |
5 |
4 |
Partly Free |
 |
Zambia |
3 |
4 |
Partly Free |
|
Zimbabwe |
6 |
6 |
Not Free |
*The ratings in this table reflect global events from 1 January 2010 through
31 December 2010.
Criteria for designation as an Electoral Democracy
1. A competitive, multiparty
political system.
2. Universal adult suffrage
for all citizens (with exceptions for restrictions that states may legitimately place on citizens as sanctions for criminal
offenses).
3. Regularly contested
elections conducted in conditions of ballot secrecy, reasonable ballot security, and the absence of massive voter fraud that
yields results that are unrepresentative of the public will.
4. Significant public
access of major political parties to the electorate through the media and through generally open political campaigning.
Additional Note: The
presence of certain irregularities during the electoral process does not automatically disqualify a country from being designated
an electoral democracy. A country cannot be an electoral democracy if significant authority for national decisions resides
in the hands of an unelected power, whether a monarch or a foreign or international authority. A country is removed from the
ranks of electoral democracies if its last national elections were not sufficiently free or fair, or if changes in law significantly
eroded the public's opportunity for electoral choice.
Status and Ratings Changes, Trend Arrow
Explanations
Burundi's political rights rating declined
from 4 to 5 due to arrests and intimidation by the government and ruling party during local, parliamentary, and presidential
election campaigns.
Côte d’Ivoire's political rights rating
declined from 6 to 7 and its civil liberties rating declined from 5 to 6 due to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo's refusal
to step down or recognize the November 2010 electoral victory of opposition presidential candidate Alassane Ouattara, as well
as political violence that stemmed from the post-election standoff, including state security forces' targeting of ethnic minority
groups that supported Ouattara.
Djibouti's political rights rating declined
from 5 to 6 and its status from Partly Free to Not Free due to constitutional changes that will allow President Ismael Omar
Guelleh to run for a third term in office.
Ethiopia's political rights rating declined
from 5 to 6, its civil liberties rating from 5 to 6, and its status from Partly Free to Not Free due to national elections
that were thoroughly tainted by intimidation of opposition supporters and candidates as well as a clampdown on independent
media and nongovernmental organizations.
Guinea's political rights rating improved
from 7 to 5, its civil liberties rating from 6 to 5, and its status from Not Free to Partly Free due to a transition from
military to civilian rule, credible presidential elections held in November 2010, and heightened observance of freedoms of
expression and association.
Guinea-Bissau received a downward trend arrow
due to the military's interference in the country’s politics and the civilian president’s increasingly apparent
willingness to acquiesce to its demands.
Kenya's civil liberties rating improved from
4 to 3 due to the reduced threat of ethnic and political violence demonstrated by a peaceful constitutional referendum held
in August 2010.
Madagascar received a downward trend arrow
due to de facto president Andry Rajoelina's attempt to unilaterally impose an electoral process in violation of internationally
mediated agreements with the main opposition parties.
Nigeria's political rights rating improved
from 5 to 4 due to increasing efforts at electoral reform, greater opposition leverage to demand transparent elections, and
the emergence of a diverse slate of presidential candidates within the ruling People's Democratic Party.
Rwanda received a downward trend arrow due
to a severe crackdown on opposition politicians, journalists, and civil society activists in the run-up to a deeply flawed
August 2010 presidential election.
Somaliland's political rights rating improved
from 5 to 4 due to the successful conduct of a long-delayed presidential election and the peaceful transfer of power from
the incumbent president to his leading rival.
Tanzania's political rights rating improved
from 4 to 3 due to the more open and competitive nature of national elections held in October 2010. The country was also designated
as an electoral democracy in this survey.
Swaziland received a downward trend arrow
due to a major crackdown on oppositionist and pro-democracy groups before and during organized demonstrations in September
2010.
Zambia received a downward trend arrow due
to political violence against the opposition and civil society groups, as well as the judiciary's failure to demonstrate substantial
independence in key decisions throughout the year.
