In 1995, the International Association of Constitutional Law took the first step to develop a network of constitutionalists from African countries in order to provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge and information of African constitutionalists who took part in the scientific activities of the association. Within this framework, in April 1997 at the Gorée Institute in Senegal, a conference was organised on "Constitutionalism, universalism and democracy". Various scholars, representatives of the different African regions and legal systems and others involved in the international association took part. The essays in the present volume were presented and discussed during this conference. The book is a sequel to the earlier published volume "Constitutionalism in Africa. A quest for autochtonous principles".