ISSN 2360-7998
Abstract
The persistence of electoral violence and the emergence of state-linked non-state armed groups represent significant challenges to democratic consolidation and peacebuilding in Africa. This article examines how the alleged mobilisation and instrumentalisation of state-sponsored militias, political thugs, party youth groups, vigilante organisations, and other informal coercive networks during electoral processes contribute to democratic backsliding and undermine regional security. Drawing on comparative analysis of selected African cases, the study explores the relationship between political elites, informal coercive actors, and electoral competition, arguing that the outsourcing of coercive authority to non-state actors enables ruling elites to suppress opposition, intimidate voters, manipulate electoral outcomes, and weaken institutional accountability. The article further demonstrates that electoral violence extends beyond domestic political instability by generating broader peace and security consequences, including cycles of retaliation, displacement, erosion of state legitimacy, and cross-border insecurity. By situating electoral violence within debates on hybrid governance, state fragility, and democratic decline, the article highlights how informal coercive arrangements blur the boundaries between state and non-state violence. It concludes that strengthening democratic institutions, improving security sector governance, enhancing electoral accountability, and addressing the political incentives behind militia formation are essential for reducing electoral violence and promoting sustainable peace and regional stability in Africa.
Keywords: state-sponsored militias; electoral violence; democratic backsliding; political coercion; human security; regional security; Africa