Grafting the sacred onto the rogue: The implications of co-optation of religious leaders by authoritarian regimes in Africa

This paper examines how authoritarian regimes in Africa strategically co-opt religious leaders to legitimize their rule, suppress opposition, and control public space. Drawing on case studies from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan, and Uganda, the analysis assesses how these alliances affect religious institutions, civil society, and democratic governance. Key question is: How do African authoritarian regimes co-opt religious institutions and leaders? What are the impacts on religious groups, civil society, political systems, democracy, governance, and society overall? What is the response of society to the phenomenon? The theoretical framework combines Gramscian hegemony, which explains how regimes create consent through religion; political theology, which examines the interaction between religion and politics; and neo-patrimonialism, which analyzes informal alliances and patronage.