Over the past two decades the African Union and Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms have made significant efforts in addressing the situation of unconstitutional changes of government on the continent. Member States have deployed efforts in promoting democracy and good governance, including holding free, fair and transparent elections; and upholding term limits, as per their respective constitutions.

However, despite these efforts, the continent is still experiencing an increase in the number of Member States which modify and eliminate constitutional term limits, resist efforts to institute term limits in their constitutions, and experience unconstitutional changes of government.

With the aim of addressing this recurring phenomenon, the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union Commission, led by H.E. Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security hosted a Reflection Forum on Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa from 15 to 17 March 2022, in Accra, Ghana. The Forum, which was attended by H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo President of the Republic of Ghana , brought together members of the Peace & Security Council, Representatives of AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms, relevant AU organs institutions; APRM, ACHPR, AUDA-NEPAD, security practitioners, civil society, African think tanks, academia, youth and women groups and professional organizations.

The forum concluded with the adoption of the Accra Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa, which proposed a number of actions to be taken by the AU, Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms, and Member states to comprehensively address unconstitutional changes of government on the continent.

The forum, among other things, urged Member States to work collaboratively in insulating national and local level strategic institutions, underscored the need for the AU and RECs/RMs to synergise their interventions in addressing issues of unconstitutional changes of government, and called for consideration of the establishment of a multi stakeholder mechanism on democratic governance, to facilitate the consolidation of constitutionalism in Africa through stakeholder engagement. It also called for a comprehensive framework establishing different categories of sanctions that may be gradually applied in accordance with the gravity of the violation or threat to the constitutional order, without compromising the well-being of ordinary, and especially vulnerable, citizens.

The forum’s outcomes were presented to the Extraordinary Summit on continental security issues, scheduled to take place on 28 May 2022 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.