Togo's political and economic systems have not changed as quickly as others in West Africa.

Ten years since the end of the civil war, but with an election due in 2012, political temperatures are running high.

Senegal's forthcoming 26 February presidential elections were the focus of the past year, and these polls are likely to dominate political, social and economic life even more as 2012 begins.

The regime is doing its best to ensure that memories of strongman Mamadou Tandja (1999-2010) fade quietly away.

The year 2012 will be shaped by the April presidential elections. Mali has developed a stable democratic system in the past 20 years, since Amadou Toumani Touré (ATT) overthrew authoritarian leader Moussa Traoré in a coup then handed power over to a civilian government.

After winning Liberia's crucial elections in October-November 2011, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf faces the challenge of the slow withdrawal of peacekeepers and a newly hostile political environment.

Political stability appears to have returned to Guinea­-
Bissau. Despite a testy relationship between President Malam Bacai Sanhá and Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior, Gomes Junior has served an unprecedented three years in office. 


After completing the first stage of the transition that ended in the election of President Alpha Condé in November 2010, Guinea does not seem to have turned its back on old ethnic and political rivalries.

President John Atta Mills was to face the toughest political battle of his career ahead of Ghana's crunch election on 7 December 2012.

Gambians have come to realise that President Yayha Jammeh's hold on the reins of power may never be successfully challenged at the ballot box.

Efforts to reinvigorate Côte d'Ivoire's economy after the disputed November 2010 elections have taken off, but President Alassane Ouattara's government faces the twin challenges of hauling the conflict-crippled economy to its feet while fostering reconciliation.

The end of Pedro Pires's presidential mandate and the death of former president Aristides Pereira, both leading figures in the struggle for independence, marked the end of an era in September 2011.

Political debates surrounding the country's first joint legislative and municipal elections and the role of constitutional term limits will dominate in 2012.

President Thomas Yayi Boni heads into 2012 much strengthened, having won another five-year term in March and gaining a virtual majority of seats in National Assembly elections in May.

Even as Nigeria has made progress in holding credible elections and in launching reforms to attract investment that may eventually nudge its economy into global league tables, its politics remain treacherous, especially in the north, and it urgently needs to industrialise and diversify the economy. 


Tensions rise ahead of polls

Battles within the ruling PDP mean that the 2011 elections may be the country’s most competitive ever, but the risks of military intervention and electoral fraud are ever-present.

A promised return to civilian rule

Salou Djibo’s military junta must guide the country through transparent elections in 2011 if it is to prove its desire to hand over to a civilian government and maintain donor support.

Instability threatens desert charms

There is no clear frontrunner for the 2012 elections since the opposition is divided and Prime Minister Sidibé’s party is still young, untested and without a strong party structure.

No lucky breaks

Problems in the management of the cotton sector led producers to abandon the crop to produce other staples, changing the country’s dependence on a traditional source of export revenue.

Increased spending fuels growth

Boosted by increased tourism and social spending, Cape Verde anticipates calm elections in 2011 and the attainment of several Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

A chance to start again
In late October, the government appeared to be on a path out of the crisis that began in 2002, but the incoming administration will have to operate in an extremely tense political environment.

Stamping out dissent
Like most strongmen, Jammeh fears that members of his entourage would like to replace him and he continues to purge the security services of suspected plotters.

Hedging its bets

President Atta Mills faces dissent from the NDC faction backed by the Rawlings family, while the NPP faces similar problems between past and future presidential candidates.

The aftermath of mutiny

The threat posed by drug trafficking and unruly soldiers dominates the political scene, making reform of the security sector a dangerous proposition for any politician.

A new man at the helm

President Alpha Condé plans to reform public finances, the military and the mining sector, all of which will be met by stiff resistance from domestic and international vested interests.

Entering a landmark year

Faced with a sometimes hostile legislature, President Johnson Sirleaf's minority party has banded together with other groups in the hope of attracting more support in the 2011 poll.

Young politician, old-school politics

The government has effectively divided the largest opposition party by bringing Olympio’s UFC into government, ensuring that policy will be approved effortlessly at all levels of the administration.

Waiting for good governance
As the country prepares for elections in 2012, tensions are high due to cost-of-living increases, popular protests over energy shortages and battles over Senegal’s future political direction.

An anniversary worth celebrating
The government focus is on investments in transport and infrastructure to accelerate the development of the mining and farming sectors over the next fewyears.

Playing the mediator

With the recent opening of a new mine, gold has supplanted cotton as the main foreign currency earner, turning Burkina Faso into a major exporter of natural resources.