Letter to the i: Democracy in Africa

Ian Birrell's observation about the mood in Africa being like the Arab Spring seems as much cautionary as optimistic.  African democracy activists will have to learn to become more resilient and stand up for themselves.  The US is currently governed by a President who supports strongmen and is cutting US State Department support for democracy activists all over the world.  Our country is too immersed in picking fights with it's closest trading partners to help them.  Perhaps the best piece of advice we can give to Africans is to make sure their institutions and their civil societies are robust enough to keep their leaders in check.

Regards

Zachary Barker

Bristol