According to the research, which scored "political rights and civil liberties" in 195 countries and 13 territories during the calendar year 2024, Equatorial Guinea – a member country of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) – is among the worst-ranked African nations, in the 'Not Free' category, having obtained five points out of 100. The same as in 2023.
For Freedom House, this country holds regular elections, "but the voting is neither free nor fair."
"The current president, who seized power through a military coup, has led an authoritarian regime since 1979. The government frequently arrests opposition politicians, represses civil society and censors journalists," the organization lamented in its investigation.
Angola, another CPLP nation, is also among the countries classified as 'Not Free'.
With a score of 28 out of 100, the same as in last year's report, "Angola has been governed by the same party since independence, and the authorities have systematically repressed political dissent," it said.
According to the study, "since the election of President João Lourenço in 2017, the Government has taken steps to crack down on endemic corruption and eased restrictions on the press and civil society, but serious challenges remain in terms of governance and human rights."
Guinea-Bissau is, in turn, a member of the CPLP classified as 'Partially Free', with 41 points – a decrease compared to the previous 43.
According to the analysis, "Guinea-Bissau's political system has been undermined in recent years by divisions between the president and parliament."
Thus, although "civil liberties conditions have gradually improved", police continue to disrupt demonstrations and corruption is a serious problem that has been exacerbated by organized crime, he explained.
Mozambique, another CPLP nation, also obtained 41 points, a worsening in relation to the 44 obtained in the same previous period.
"The party's uninterrupted hold on power has allowed it to establish significant control over state institutions," Freedom House explained in the document.
Mozambique is also struggling with corruption and journalists "run the risk of suffering violent attacks", lamented.
In turn, São Tomé and Príncipe is a CPLP nation classified as 'Free', with 84 points, the same as the previous year.
"São Tomé and Príncipe holds regular and competitive national elections. Civil liberties are generally respected, but poverty and corruption have weakened some institutions and contributed to the dysfunction of the judicial system," the study noted.
Cape Verde, with 92 points, is the best-ranked CPLP country in Africa.
According to the report, "Cape Verde is a stable democracy with competitive elections."
"Civil liberties are generally protected, but access to justice is hampered by an overburdened judicial system and crime remains a concern," he stressed.
In general, "dramatic declines in freedom have been observed in all regions of the world."
Specifically in Africa, the study shows that these declines were observed in Tanzania, Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Burundi, Mozambique, South Sudan, the People's Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Guinea-Conakry and Cameroon.
Among the worst-ranked African countries are South Sudan (with one point out of 100), Sudan (with two points out of 100), the Central African Republic (with five points out of 100) and Equatorial Guinea (with five points out of 100).
