Besides independence revolutions, civil society or democratization is the most prominent social movement in African societies after the period of colonialization and in particular in recent decades. Among different interpretations from civil society in Africa, there are two definitions which are more accepted: traditional civil society and modern civil society. While traditional civil society is viewed as an opponent force against the government, the modern civil society is the establishment of civil institutions and organizations with legal, supportive, economic and social functions which have three important obligations: defending citizen’s rights in front of the government, monitoring the efficiency of the government and limiting the power of the government in social arena. While modern civil society in Africa is suffering from different shortcomings, it is recognized as one of the most important necessities of democratization in Africa.
The present article aims to discuss the African understanding of civil society and to study the characteristics of this phenomenon and to make a comparison between African civil society and civil society in developed societies.