Africa has the world’s youngest population, yet young people are often sidelined from politics and policy-making. Exclusion, poverty, inequality, and repression have fuelled frustration, sparking a wave of youth-led protests across the continent. Still, young Africans remain at the forefront of demands for justice, accountability, and democratic renewal. A rights-based approach to democracy, grounded in the rule of law, is increasingly seen as the best safeguard against abuse. But how can protest translate into real change? What lessons can be drawn from countries that have overcome similar struggles?

In this Vodcast, Mozambican activist David Fardo, Togolese activist Etienne Kounde, and Kenyan legal expert Asha Ali Bashir Gedi share insights on defending protesters’ rights and strengthening democratic values. They warn of rising radicalization in Mozambique and Togo, where shrinking civic space and growing extremism threaten fragile democracies. Similar dynamics are visible in Kenya’s Gen Z protests, post-election unrest in Mozambique, and calls for leadership renewal in Togo and Uganda, especially around constitutional reforms that entrench incumbents.

Limited opportunities and weak state responses push youth into informal movements that highlight their grievances. Regional youth structures, while promising, often lack funding and end up symbolic rather than impactful. Meanwhile, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and disappearances remain common government responses to dissent, leaving behind deep collective trauma.

Across Africa, young people are demanding respect for freedoms, human rights, and the rule of law – principles already enshrined in international norms. Their voices, though often suppressed, continue to shape the future of democracy on the continent.