The need to guarantee electoral integrity in Africa was defended by Guinean economist Carlos Lopes, one of the most influential figures in contemporary African thought with great prominence in the African academic landscape, who also emphasized that this is an essential condition for stability and political development on the continent.

During a speech in Cape Verde, where he participated in a conference on the legacy of Amílcar Cabral and the narratives of Pan-Africanism, the intellectual addressed the political issues affecting many African countries, where disputed and questioned elections have generated discontent and instability, especially among young people.

According to Carlos Lopes, electoral integrity is “a fight worth fighting"because it is one of the basic pillars for achieving stability and political development on the continent, and therefore must take priority over other matters, so that it can respond to the expectations and impatience of African youth who, loyal to their causes, demand real and urgent changes.

For Carlos Lopes, electoral integrity is not just a matter of transparency; it's an urgent necessity, given Africa's demographic structure. The continent has a young population, with an average age of just 19, and this reality places additional pressures on African political systems.

“It is necessary to restore, in all African countries, the capacity for the electoral system to have integrity and not be challenged.”

Carlos Lopes stated, emphasizing that young Africans desire change and have legitimate reasons to demand swift and visible transformations. This context is particularly evident in Mozambique, where candidate Venâncio Mondlane and his supporters are contesting the results of the general elections, leading to several demonstrations and strikes across the country.

Carlos Lopes sees these actions as a reflection of a broader trend, present in many African countries, where elections, rather than strengthening democracy, end up provoking tensions and confrontations. Carlos Lopes believes that a robust and reliable electoral system is the only way to ensure that results reflect the will of the people, without room for doubt or dispute.

In addition to electoral integrity, Carlos Lopes addressed the need to address the problem of youth unemployment in Africa, a challenge exacerbated by rapid urbanization and population growth.

With high youth unemployment rates, the economist argues that the State must play a facilitating role, creating the necessary conditions for the private sector and individuals themselves to generate jobs.

"Today, the State must be intelligent and capable of creating the conditions for the private sector, companies, and individuals to create their own jobs," he suggested.

Carlos Lopes sees this issue as essential to addressing the discontent of African youth. For the economist, the lack of jobs and opportunities on the continent increases young people's impatience and reinforces the need for concrete responses from African governments.

This youth, loyal to figures and causes, can be a transformative force, but it can also bring instability if they don't find alternatives to realize their aspirations and life projects.

In addition to internal challenges, Carlos Lopes also addressed the implications of international dynamics for Africa, particularly China's growing influence and the role of the United States.

For Carlos Lopes, US financial aid to Africa may be limited, but US interest in the continent remains focused on fighting terrorism and containing Chinese influence.

“These two characteristics are common to various American administrations and will not necessarily change in the transition from one President to another.”

“What can change is the rhetoric and the discourse, but not necessarily the fundamental concerns regarding Africa.”

However, the economist warns that potential changes in trade tariffs and global economic regulatory policies, as already announced, could negatively affect African countries.

According to him, these countries must be prepared to negotiate firmly and adapt to these changes, strengthening their economies and developing strategic partnerships that respond to their interests.

Carlos Lopes emphasizes that sustainable development and strengthening domestic economies must be priorities for Africa, at a time when the global economic outlook is increasingly uncertain.

The conference entitled “Amílcar Cabral and the Changing Narratives of Pan-Africanism”, organized by the Amílcar Cabral Foundation, seeks to present a contemporary reading of Amílcar Cabral’s contribution to Africa today.

After participating in the conference, Carlos Lopes spoke to journalists at the end of a meeting with the President of the Republic of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves, and stated that the idea is to contribute Amílcar Cabral's legacy to African narratives and how, through his teachings, a series of innovations can be seen in the way of interpreting Pan-Africanism.

Cabral's vision, which championed the struggle for African dignity and autonomy, was reinterpreted by Carlos Lopes as a call for restructuring and political and economic integrity. For Carlos Lopes, Amílcar Cabral's thinking offers "critical structures” essential to understanding and addressing the challenges Africa faces today.

Carlos Lopes also highlighted that, although Pan-Africanism emerged as a unifying ideology, its interpretation has evolved to address contemporary issues such as climate change and women's rights.

He pointed out that Amílcar Cabral was already discussing, in the 50s, topics such as soil regeneration and the sustainable use of water resources, topics that today form a central part of sustainability policies.

“And, therefore, all of these are topics that today's experts working on sustainability consider extremely relevant, and Amílcar Cabral already spoke about them in the 50s.”

Carlos Lopes emphasized that these are just some of the many facets of Amílcar Cabral.

Carlos Lopes, by defending electoral integrity and revisiting the legacy of Amílcar Cabral, proposes a self-sufficient and innovative Africa, committed to sustainable development and social inclusion.

For him, both the creation of a fair political system and the strengthening of local economies are fundamental for the continent to thrive in a constantly changing global landscape. Carlos Lopes' message is clear: Africa must strengthen its democratic processes, drawing inspiration from figures like Amílcar Cabral to face the challenges of the present and future.