A Strategic Response to the Restriction on Foreign Funding of the Civil Society Organisations in Africa

Abstract

The tussle between CSOs and governments on foreign funding is not going anytime soon. As long as the mandate of most CSOs remains to hold governments accountable, governments will look for ways to retaliate. Most African governments hate to account and it is for this reason that the tension will continue. These governments react by enacting restrictive laws on the funding of CSOs which should be viewed as a declaration of war on CSOs. In response, the CSOs must adopt a strategic response that is multifaceted and people-centred. This paper dismantles the smokescreen that governments use to hide their sinister motives in restricting CSOs' funding. It posits that the many reasons such as monitoring terrorism financing are pretentious. The paper also asses the effect of restriction on CSOs funding. It concludes the restriction though adverse to CSOs has no capacity to extinct them.