President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned African nations against measuring their progress against Western countries, citing growing political and social crises in the so-called Global North.
He made the remarks during the opening of the 2026 judicial year of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights on Monday, 2 March, in Arusha, Tanzania.
Addressing a gathering of jurists, diplomats, and civil society representatives, President Mahama noted that many countries long regarded as exemplars of democracy, justice, and human rights are witnessing significant declines in governance standards.
“If you look beyond Africa, what you’ll find is that the façade of the so-called Global North, a group of countries that have long held themselves up as beacons of democracy and human rights, of liberty, justice, and the rule of law, is fast crumbling,” he said.
He highlighted alarming trends, including weakened judicial independence, arbitrary detention of citizens and lawful residents without due process, executive overreach, and restrictions on freedoms of speech, assembly, and protest.
According to the President, these developments have led to a general erosion of liberties and a marked decline in public trust in government institutions.
Drawing on the wisdom of Tanzania’s founding father, Julius K. Nyerere, he reminded his audience:
“One does not judge one’s state of health by comparing it to a sick person.”
President Mahama stressed that African nations have for too long relied on Western standards as benchmarks for their own progress.
“For far too long, we have compared ourselves to the West and used what we believed were their standards as benchmarks for our endeavours,” he said.
“The reality we see today should serve as a clear call to action. What should be our paradigm in understanding and interacting with the world, even as we preserve our dignity and cultural identity as Africans?.
