Democratic sanctions in Africa. A reassessment of their selective and inconsistent use across multiple senders

When it comes to sanctions, Africa plays a major, albeit often overlooked, role. Not only is it a primary target of these measures, but it is al- so a primary sender of them. African regimes have been frequently targeted by unilateral as well as multilateral sanctions even since before the latter became in higher demand after the end of the Cold War. Since the early 2000s, they have also become active senders in their own region, as several African region- al organizations began imposing democratic sanctions against local regimes. While such developments have been largely praised, the recently growing in- consistencies in their application at a time of a return of coups and close au- thoritarianism across the continent demand a reassessment of their use. Look- ing at all the democratic sanctions imposed in Africa by regional and extra- regional actors since the 1990s, this chapter aims to examine the factors that influence their imposition in the region, exposing variations in their selective use across senders, and reflecting on the causes of recent inconsistencies.