MILITARY COUPS: FROM WEST TO CENTRAL AFRICA
MILITARY COUPS: FROM WEST TO CENTRAL AFRICA
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
31st August,2023
nurudeendauda24@gmail.com
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To begin with, it appears that the contagious effect theory for military intervention in politics is rearing its ugly head again on the African continent. Is Africa regressing to military rule? What is the cause of the resurgence of military coups in Africa? Is there something missing in the civilian regimes? Is military rule the answer?
In my observation, the general psychology of "leadership" and or leadership psychology in Africa needed much to be desired as our experiences of both the military and civilian regimes show. In virtually all the issues the "politicians" are being accused of ; such as: corruption, indiscipline, injustice, insecurity, economic malaise, and sit-tight syndrome etc., the successive military governments on the African continent also have similar accusations against them.
On the issue of insecurity in Nigeria ,for instance under our successive military regimes, we had series of ethno-religious clashes; such as: (1) 1987- Kafanchan crisis,(2) 1991- Tafawa Balewa LG election crisis, (3) 1991- Kastina Shiit crisis, (4) 1992 -Zangon Kataf crisis,(5) 1992- Jalingo crisis,(6) 1993- Funtua Kalak'ato uprising, (7) 1994- Jos LG caretaker crisis,(8) 1994- Potiskum conversion crisis and (9) 1995- Tafawa Balewa Commissioner's appointment crisis etc.
In my thought, good governance on the African continent is what is badly needed , but sadly lacking. What the Africans essentially need is good governance. As long as the African democrats continue to ignore good governance, the military will always whip up the sentiments of people and take over power in the name of rescue mission as messiahs.
From the late nineteen fifties to the early sixties when most African countries got their independence we witnessed several military coups who were unable to address the good governance question on the African continent. We had witnessed series of allegations of corruption, injustice, abuse of human rights and economic malaise under the military on the African continent.
Africa is now regressing to military rule. In Mali there were military coups in August, 2020 and in May, 2021. In Chad there was a military coup in April, 2021. In Sudan there was a military coup in October, 2021. In Burkina Faso there were military coups of January, 2022 and October, 2022 and in Guinea there was a military coup in February, 2022. In July, 2023 there was a military coup in Niger Republic and now in Gabon in August, 2023.
However, as students of "power" we were taught a lot of "theories"on the causes of military intervention ; such as: the international conspiracy theory, class action theory, personal/corporate interest theory, ideological theory, modernization theory, organization theory, socio-political theory, and socio- economic theory etc.
In my observation, apart from bad governance in the recent past, tenure "elongation" and or a "civilian coup" is increasingly becoming responsible for military coups in Africa. Tenure elongation which is occasioned by "sit-tight syndrome" has swept many African democracies. From the early 1990s to-date there were more than 25 both successful and unsuccessful tenures elongation attempts by presidents in Africa.
For instance, there were cases of tenures elongation attempts that led to military coups and ousters of civilian regimes through mass protests across Africa; such as:president Mamadou Tandja of Niger in 2010; president Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso in 2014; president Alpha Conde of Guinea Conakry in 2020; and now president Ali Bango of Gabon in 2023 etc.
Although democracy is not a perfect system of government , but it offers us a reasonable freedom of expression especially in this digital era of social media where everyone says, writes, and posts what he or she wants without censorship. This is almost practically impossible under the military as many of our experiences show. Even though there are widespread allegations of elections rigging in some cases , but we have witnessed many instances where people's votes count through periodic elections on the African continent.
The so-called advanced democracies of the world are not and or were not built in one day. They have endured for several decades and or centuries through "ups" and "downs" to be where they are. It is better we continue to insist on good governance through this imperfect system until we get its better replacement, but certainly not the military.
For us to get it right, it is high we begin to build the African Psychology of leadership. It is equally high time we align the western democracy we borrowed with African values.
May God bless Nigeria!