Africa Notes: Should Elections Be the Criterion Of Democratization in Africa? - February 1993

With the end of the cold war, strategic considerations ceased to be a key factor in decision making on aid to African countries. Western assistance, both bilateral and through multilateral institutions, has become increasingly conditioned on criteria variously identified as "democratization" (the U.S. yardstick) and "governance" (the World Bank gauge). In practice, this has meant that economic assistance is more likely to be extended to countries where there is evidence of, or a trend toward, multiparty politics, respect for human rights, and increased attention to competency in management of the economy.