Elections are often the trigger for widespread violence, especially in new or less consolidated democracies. This also holds true for Sierra Leone where upcoming elections carry significant escalatory risks due to political polarisation and the presence of a large number of violent actors affiliated with the established political parties.

The recent elections in Namibia and Uganda are telling indicators for the growing generational tensions between aging paternalistic elites and a youth striving for prosperity and democratic participation in many African states - and they are a wake-up call for more international attention. A growing part of Africa’s young societies is no longer willing to accept the past deeds of having liberated the country from colonialism or dictatorship as legitimization for nepotism and failures to provide services and development. Instead, the support for second/third liberation movements is rising.