Keith B. Richburg

Keith B. Richburg is a journalist for the Washington Post who was stationed in Africa from 1991 to 1994. In the following viewpoint, adapted from his 1997 book Out of America: A Black Man Confronts Africa, Richburg examines the “new breed” of African leaders who came into power in the 1990s and who have been praised as being more democratic and less corrupt than their predecessors. Richburg argues that these leaders are just as autocratic as the dictators that preceded them. Much change is required for African nations to become truly democratic, he contends, including reducing government control over the media and security forces, intensively monitoring elections, and rewriting existing state constitutions.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Why does the holding of elections not always signify true democracy in Africa...