IN AFRICA, there is a demographic disconnect between leaders and those they lead. While the average population age of Africa is younger than 30, their leaders are likely to be twice that age and, in many cases, far older. This is indicative of a vast dichotomy between disengaged governments and their young and increasingly demanding populations.
The novelty of the political tsunami that rocked North Africa in 2011 has shifted the spotlight firmly onto the rest of the continent, forcing repressive and insensitive regimes to sit up and take notice. At the heart of the "Arab Spring" was a disgruntled youth seeking democratic representation and economic participation. As a result, the political landscape of most of North Africa changed, which was a wake-up call to other long-serving leaders that Africa’s ruling class was under siege. Now, unless the gap between the aspirations of the governed and those who govern is bridged, underlying frustrations threaten to spill over into econ...
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