School of Social and Political Science

Description

The Centre of African Studies (CAS) is delighted to invite you to the following talk:

'Democracy Promotion Under Threat of Terrorism: Experimental Evidence and Policy Implications'

Speaker: Dr Souleymane Yameogo, Research Associate in Democratic Politics, University of Glasgow

Chair: Dr Francisca Anita Adom-Opare, Research Fellow, Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh

This lecture examines two questions: (1) how terrorism reshapes citizens’ democratic attitudes and (2) whether targeted democracy-promotion interventions can shore up democratic values in contexts of chronic terrorism and under autocratic rule. Drawing on original experimental evidence from Burkina Faso, Dr Yameogo interrogates the psychological mechanisms and theoretical claims underpinning democratic resilience and assess their empirical validity. The findings indicate that terrorism tends to erode support for democracy across African settings. However, well-framed democracy-promotion messages – particularly those emphasising the democratic advantage in security and rights protection – can measurably strengthen pro-democratic attitudes, even in fragile states.

When: Wednesday 15th October 2025 (4pm-5:30pm) BST

Where: Seminar Room 2 - Chrystal Macmillan Building

Format: In-person only

Register via Eventbrite

Speaker Biography

Dr Souleymane Yameogo (Research Associate in Democratic Politics at the University of Glasgow) is a political scientist studying how terrorism and violent conflict shape democratic attitudes and policy in fragile states, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. He uses rigorous methods – online experiments, spatial difference-in-differences, survey research, and historical analysis – to generate policy-relevant evidence. Recent projects include an online randomised controlled trial in Burkina Faso testing democracy-promotion framings under chronic insecurity. His research centres on: (1) how conflict (terrorism, riots, armed clashes) affects post-conflict political and economic behaviour – including trust in security institutions such as the police; (2) tools that mitigate these harms by fostering democratic norms and values; and (3) the legacy of liberation and revolutionary movements for contemporary African governance. Beyond academia, he co-founded the Balai Citoyen movement in Burkina Faso and runs Democrise, a YouTube channel that bridges research and public debate.

Selected works (in progress and Under Review): The Impact of Terrorism on Democratic Support in Africa (R&R Social Forces); Proximity to Riots: Spatial Exposure and Attitudes Toward the Police in Africa (R&R Social Forces); The Impact of Terrorism and Selective Economic Nationalism in Africa (In progress); Promoting democracy in the context of terrorism: Experimental evidence from Burkina Faso (R&R PSRM); Revolution and Governance in Africa: Case Study of Thomas Sankara’s Revolution in Burkina Faso (1983–1987) (Working paper).