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Russia's war against Ukraine has accelerated international competition for influence in Africa. Structural weaknesses and post-pandemic instabilities continue to threaten achievements in the fields of democratic governance, peace and security, as well as development. We present a select list and analysis of "ten things to watch" in Africa in 2023.
Politics: Democratic quality will depend on the nature of polls, as the electoral calendar is heavily packed. Important general elections that could trigger social unrest are scheduled in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe.
Peace and security: Against the backdrop of continued structural-conflict risks, Jihadism and related ethno-regional tensions pose a major security challenge that may spill over to neighbouring states, especially from the Sahel to West African coastal countries. The recent ceasefire in Ethiopia's Tigray Region could be a first positive step towards peace.
International arena: Amid Russia's war against Ukraine, many African governments were reluctant to join the international coalition condemning the Putin regime. Continued Western pressure on African countries to isolate Russia fosters African agency. At the same time, we expect to see an intensifying "new scramble for Africa" that includes both China and Middle Eastern countries.
Socio-economic development: African countries will slowly rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic's socio-economic effects, but high poverty, inequality, and government debt hamper economic growth. Progress on joint efforts to counter the climate crisis remains slow.
Western support for African countries in their struggle for democracy, peace and security, as well as development requires a "new start" that focuses on prevention rather than ad hoc responses to current crises. The European Union and United States should avoid lapsing into Cold War habits of only assisting African governments if they "break away" from Russia. Germany needs to formulate a sound Africa policy that balances values and national interests with realistic assessments of the policy's potential in light of bigger players like China.

Ist die Demokratie in Deutschland in Gefahr? Welchen Beitrag kann Bildung leisten, um sie zu stärken? Eine demokratische Gesellschaft setzt voraus, dass ihre Bürgerinnen und Bürger von klein auf lernen, andere Meinungen zu respektieren, Konflikte konstruktiv zu lösen und sich aktiv in gemeinschaftliche Willensbildungsprozesse einzubringen. Der Aktionsrat Bildung widmet sich in seinem neuen Gutachten der Frage, wie Demokratiebildung in Deutschland weiterentwickelt werden kann. In einem einleitenden Kapitel werden die Ursachen und Auswirkungen der weltweiten Zunahme antidemokratischer Tendenzen aus einer interdisziplinären Perspektive beleuchtet. Anschließend wird für alle Bildungsphasen der Status quo abgebildet: Welchen Stellenwert hat Demokratiebildung in den Bildungsplänen und in der Ausbildung des pädagogischen Personals? Wie steht es um die demokratischen Kompetenzen der Teilnehmenden im Bildungssystem? Der Aktionsrat Bildung leitet aus dieser Bestandsaufnahme konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen ab und richtet diese an die politischen Entscheidungsträger. (DIPF/Orig.)