Arusha: President John Dramani Mahama has urged African countries to rethink how they measure their progress, cautioning against constantly comparing themselves to Western nations at a time when many of those countries are grappling with deep political and social challenges. He made the remarks on Monday, March 2, 2026, during the opening of the 2026 judicial year of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights in Arusha.
According to Ghana Web, President Mahama addressed an audience of judges, diplomats, and civil society actors, asserting that Africa should adopt a more self-assured view of its development path. He highlighted that nations often described as the 'Global North', traditionally seen as models of democracy and human rights, are now encountering significant setbacks in governance and civil liberties.
President Mahama noted worrying trends in some Western countries, such as weakening judicial independence, arbitrary detention without due process, executive overreach, and growing restrictions on freedoms of speech, assembly, and protest. He emphasized that such developments have eroded public confidence in state institutions and exposed vulnerabilities in systems once viewed as stable and exemplary.
To underscore his point, President Mahama invoked the words of Tanzania's founding leader, Julius K Nyerere, stating, "One does not judge one's state of health by comparing it to a sick person." He stressed that Africa has, for decades, measured its democratic and governance standards against Western models, sometimes at the expense of its own historical and cultural context.
President Mahama encouraged African nations to define their own benchmarks grounded in their values, realities, and aspirations while still engaging constructively with the global community. He stated, "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?"
His remarks added a philosophical tone to the judicial ceremony, challenging African leaders and citizens alike to reflect on the continent's identity, independence, and confidence in shaping its own future.