Inge Herbert News Today

COVID restrictions chipping away at Africas civil liberties The COVID-19 pandemic has provided African autocrats with the perfect set of circumstances to restrict civil liberties, rights activists say. Chinas growing influence on the continent may play a role, a report warns. The global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a massive reordering efforts in almost every countrys governing structures. From planning vaccine roll-outs to coordinating lockdown measures, each nations social, political a...

The COVID-19 pandemic has not just affected the health and economies of countries - it has proven to be a significant threat to civil liberties and democracy as a whole. Particularly in Africa, the crisis has presented an opportunity for authoritarians to strengthen their grip on power and further erode core civil freedoms. This has been especially acute in East Africa where recent general elections in Tanzania and Uganda have seen an intensification of power abuse and restrictions on freedom o...