Decolonising Liberal Democracy: Amílcar Cabral’s Political Thought and the Reconstruction of Participatory Democracy in Africa

Abstract

The persistence of democratic challenges in Africa has generated debates about whether liberal democracy, as inherited and practised across the continent, adequately responds to African political realities. While existing explanations often emphasise weak institutions, poor leadership, and electoral deficiencies, this article argues that the problem also concerns the limited understanding of democracy as primarily a system of representation and periodic elections. Using a philosophical reconstruction method and a critical interpretive approach, the article examines Amílcar Cabral’s political thought as a resource for rethinking democratic theory in Africa. It argues that Cabral’s participatory politics provides a framework for decolonising liberal democracy by reconceptualising citizens as active agents of political life, rather than occasional participants in electoral processes. The article develops three interconnected principles of Cabralian democratic reconstruction, namely: political agency, participatory institutions, and political consciousness. It does not reject liberal democratic commitments to constitutionalism, rights, and accountability. Rather, it argues that these principles require deeper participation to achieve meaningful legitimacy. By reconstructing the democratic implications of Cabral’s philosophy of liberation, the article contributes to debates on decolonial political theory and the possibilities of participatory democracy in Africa.