e-sRC

CHAPTER ONE

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Introduction

Africa appears to have witnessed four remarkable political epochs. These are the traditional African Society, the era of colonial incursion, the period of decolonization and the contemporary African State system.¹ These periods are remarkable and have distinctive characteristics especially in terms of pattern by which the society is governed. The traditional African society was organized based on family system, clans, emirates, kingships and kingdoms. The traditional system was predominantly ruled by kings and emperors, with many of these societies imbibed greater sense of communality. The colonial incursion in 18th century and subsequent effective occupation arising from the Berlin conference of 1885 virtually withered away the existing forms of governance in Africa.² In fact, Ekeh argued that the establishment of colonial rule led to the emergence of two publics (moral and amoral publics) in Africa. Colonialism therefore eroded the existing traditionalism that was enshrined in pristine Africa’s pattern of governance.³ As the year evolved, the establishment of the new concept of democracy was planted across Africa. But a surge of military coups is sweeping across Africa. On 30 August 2023,⁴ the central African nation of Gabon became the sixth African country to experience a military coup in the past three years following coups in Niger (July 2023), Burkina Faso (January and September 2022), Sudan (October 2021), Chad (April 2021), Guinea (September 2021) and Mali (August 2020 and May 2021).⁵ This study therefore, examines the nature of democratic leadership and rise of military coup in West Africa in contemporary times.

            The resurgence of military coups in African Politics recently is intriguing. It is a recurrent of militarism in the continent of Africa which went on extinction about two decades ago. This development is problematic because military coups d’etat have the potency of contagion effect. They can spread wide and fast too in the circumstance of the level of facilitation by different situations. Last year, Chad, Mali, Guinea and Sudan experienced military Coups d’etat. This year also the Military struck in Bissau and Burkina Faso between January and early February respectively.⁶ The rather quick successive upsurge and dimension coups have assumed backsliding Africa to the brink of praetorian society calls for concern. This study attempts to examine the resurgence of military coup d’etat in West African politics and the reversal of democracy in the Region.⁷ The study will survey the resurgence of military coups in West African politics and how it has been a threat to democracy and needs to be tackled for democracy to survive.

Aim and Objectives

            The aim of the study is to examines the democratic leadership and military coup in West Africa, while the objectives includes

1. To examines the root cause of the rise of coups and political instability in West Africa.
2. To examine the democracy’s discontent and the resurgence of military coups in West Africa.
3. To examines the tension between militarisation and democratisation in West Africa.
4. To examines the impact of military coups d’etat on West Africa’s socio-economic and political development.
5. To examines the efforts by ECOWAS and Africa Union in curbing the rise of military coups d’etat on West Africa.

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