By Alie (Kelety) Bockarie
After the mid-20th century, African intellectuals who first gained Western civilization and education were the first to become conscious and enlightened about imperialism and colonialism that had long subjected them to slavery.
These African intellectuals (Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Nnamdi Azikwei of Nigeria, Sir Milton Margai of Sierra Leone, etc) were identified as freedom fighters for the emancipation and independence of Africa. Their push and patriotic movement towards nationalism and independence created huge impact in freeing Africa from the shackles and web of colonialism.
Their emancipatory and independent achievement earned them the trust of the people to run the administration of their respective states. As political messiahs for the people of Africa, upon gaining independence, the mantle of leadership was transferred to them (political saviours), and hence, they had the support of the people.
However, these political messiahs, gradually began losing legitimacy in the eyes of the people due to their corrupt practices like embezzlement of state resources for their personal interests and their insatiable thirst for power, polarisation of the army under ethnic lines and reluctance to hand over power when their tenure of office had expired.
In fact, many of these so-called political freedom fighters turned out to be dictators to their own people in the end. They suppressed and stifled the press that contributed to their country’s independence from colonial rule and their rise to power.
Multi-party system was discouraged, crippled and political participation suppressed. This continued suppression of the voices of the people and worsening corruption drove the military boys to stage coups and counter-coups in Africa. Apparently, the main reasons for the coup d’etats in the 1960s were the incessant corruption by politicians or their tendency to stay too long in power.
Reasons for Military Takeover in the Recent Coups in Africa
In this 21st century, and to be more specific - from 2022 to now, the reasons for coup d'etats in Africa are not sharply dissimilar to those interventions in the second half of the 20th century. However, there are some new reasons for the military taking up governance in the 21st century which have to do with election irregularities, legitimacy crisis surrounding rulers, incompetent management of the state economy (which leads to uncontrollable inflation and subjecting the masses to extreme hardship). Also, other reasons could be ideological differences between the military men and the politicians, politicians breaching the national constitution in order to favour or suit their personal interests (such as contemplating third term bid), and capturing of state resources by a few people (politicians and foreign investors).
Generally, government is the process by which a political entity manages its affairs and exercises authority over a territory of its citizens. Democratic government is a form of government in which the political power to make decisions is vested in the people. Citizens have the right to participate in the decision-making process via voting in an election, exercising their views, and holding their leaders accountable, but this can only be ensured and enforced in a society where there is true democratic exercise. The government often includes the rules of law, protection of individual rights, and checks and balances to prevent the concentration of power.
On the other hand, junta rule clearly deviates from the ideals of democracy. It is a form of government where military officers and/or other individuals often with a strong military background seize power from democratically elected leaders. Military coups are accompanied by an immediate dissolution of the existing political power and suspension of the constitution of a state.
Junta rule is typically characterized by authoritarianism and centralisation of political power which limits decision- making process within the group of individuals that make up the junta. Commonly enough, a military regime is not a legitimate political system, in other words, it does not derive its power through the will of the people.
Legitimacy in the Context of Democracy
In a democratic sense, legitimacy implies the acceptance of a leader by his people followed by their voluntary compliance with his wishes or commands. A legitimate government is one that is legal and has the support and consent of the people, a political system that derives its power through the mandate of the people and recognized by other states and international organizations. The concept, of legitimacy, is, therefore, a necessary tenet of democratic practice. It ensures and guarantees the functioning of a democratic process.
Legitimacy maintains its aliveness when it is not disconnected from public trust, transparency, and fairness in the decision-making process by the state actors, which manifests free and fair election, accountability, rule of law, and consent of the governed.
Legitimacy in the Context of Recent Coup D'etats in Africa (Francophone)
Theoretically, legitimacy is only practiced in a democratic system of government. However, and with reference to recent coup d'etats in Africa, the jubilation and celebration of military interventions by the people especially in Niger, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Gabon manifest legitimacy but in its technical context. Citizens under the junta government hail and venerate their military rulers for overthrowing democratically elected leaders.
This snobbery attitude by the people directed against civilian leaders showcases a loss of confidence in democratic civilian regimes. Junta leaders are not obviously elected to power. However, the people's choice and consent imply legitimacy in this scenario. From these recent coups, it seems that the people care less about the means of coming to power.
This ironic attitude of the people raises questions and suspicions of the present-day democratic practice especially in connection to electioneering (unfairly declaring winners of the presidential election which deprive the people of their rights of would-have-been-chosen leaders), constitutional breach or amendment to suit their selfish comfort - either to contest for a third term or to unendingly govern the people. The politicians wear the masks of democracy and rule with the actual face of despotism.
Amazingly also, the attitude of citizens of Niger Republic under the junta administration - Commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani who ousted a coup d'etat on the 26th of July 2023 - detaining president Mohamed Bazoum and proclaiming himself the leader of the military junta.
Even though military governments are characterized by dictatorial and autocratic ideals, almost all of the citizens of Niger Republic legitimately welcomed the takeover - they hailed and revered the junta leader as against the overthrown president who intended to continue ruling the people of Niger. Under the new junta regime, almost all of the people are seemingly comfortable with the new regime instead of the so-called erstwhile democratic regime. Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Garbon are not an exception.
Burkina Faso happens to be a country that has the youngest leader in Africa and possibly in the entire world. Captain Ibrahim Traorè assumed power on the 30th of September 2022 via a coup d'etat that ousted the interim president Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba. As of now, Ibrahim Traorè is the most highly respected, admired, and youngest junta leader. He is liked and accepted by the people of Burkina Faso and even beyond the borders of Burkina Faso. The endearing likeness and admiration of his people and his fervent stand to free his people from imperialism have earned the massive support and legitimacy of the people.
The interim president of Guinea, Mamady Doumbouya assumed power on October first, 2021 - led a coup d'etat on 5th September 2021. Despite the fact that it is a military government, he was overly preferred over Alpha Condè who was democratically elected into power. Doumbouya is another junta leader who was or is not just admired and welcomed by his subject but also preferred to the claimed-dictatorial democratic leader (Alpha Condè) who amended the constitution via referendum to contest for the third term. This constitutional amendment of the so-called democratically elected leader was uncalled for and hence, lost the trust of the people; this paved the way for the legitimacy of the junta regime of Mamady Doumbouya.
The one hundred dollar questions that are quite uncomfortable for those armchair democratic preachers are: why are coup d'etats so legitimately welcomed and preferred by the people instead of the all-embracing democratic systems? Have the democratic regimes become faulty or incapacitated to govern the governed? Or are they so-called armchair democratic preachers not practically working according to the dictate of democracy? Probably, the masses have lost hope in the politicians due to their unending incompetence to stabilize and strengthen the economy and to discourage incessant inflation which have succeeded in subjecting the people to extreme economic hardship and penury. Is it because of a legitimacy crisis i.e., either from the day a presidential candidate is declared winner or the manner in which a ruler rules his people (gradually losing the support of the people)? Crying foul over election results by the main opposition parties is a common phenomenon in African elections. One may wonder why this is happening taking into consideration the various constitutional provisions that provide for free, fair, and transparent elections in African countries, the presence of International Observers, and the independent institutions like the CSO's that are geared towards upholding the principle of free, fair and transparent elections. Yet still, there is always a cry of foul by the rigging of elections. Has this been a syndicate over the past decade or score to deprive the electors of their actual legitimate choice?
Threats and Impacts of Coups in Africa in These Recent Times
Generally, a military regime is not a comfortable and conducive system of administration when it comes to peaceful and national cohesion and freedom of expression and of the press. Military governments are commonly characterised by dictatorial and autocratic ideals. Although their interventions in politics are to correct certain lapses of democratic regimes, they usually turn out to be the worst. Personnel in the junta administration are mostly a group of amateurs who lack the administrative experience and expertise to run the affairs of a state. Such a system of inexperienced people will undoubtedly result in maladministration and mismanagement of state resources.
The watchdog role of the press on behalf of the people will be instantly put into permanent slumber and the masses will be plunged into darkness. As a result, the people will become ignorant, unconscious, unaware, and unenlightened about the daily affairs of the junta administration. And when the people are not heard, you cannot understand their plight.
Financial aid from some foreign organisations or countries will come to a standstill. Most African countries, particularly West Africa, largely depend on foreign aid to boost their economies. Foreign assistance or loan agreements are granted to countries that are peaceful with no militarisation of governance (democratic system). In a military regime, this is not usually the case. Even foreign investors are not attracted; they will fly away due to constant unrest under the junta government.
Coup Detat's Implication to Democratic Regimes
Despite the evil fruits of junta regimes, there are some blessings and benefits such a system can have. First, thoughts and the threats of junta regimes put the civilian governments on their toes to effectively run the affairs of the state. Coup paranoia worries politicians and the fear of being overthrown by the junta would drive them to maintain good governance.
Secondly, military intervention in politics exposes corrupt democratic administrations. Many a time, people are blinded and unaware of the dealings of politicians. Most of their financial activities are classified and done behind the scene until the military takes over and expose all previous corrupt practices these politicians have been doing.
A practical example is seen in the recent coup that was staged in Guinea by Mamady Doumbouya - corrupt practices of some government ministers were exposed to the people. This eye-opener role of the junta administration has been one of the reasons why the military men are liked and ‘legitimately’ supported by almost all of the people.
Comparatively, the hardship in today's democratic regimes seems to supersede the one under the junta administration. Most of the recent coups in Africa are motivated by the cries and disgruntled calls of the people under civilian administration. And most times the military men themselves are not exempted from this hardship. As dictatorial as they are, junta men, led by their leader, dictate to businessmen and women to automatically scale down the prices of commodities especially when they notice that these businessmen and women are exploiting the consumer population.
Finally, a military takeover impedes the tendency of politicians to contest for a third term or stay too long in power. Commonly enough, in Africa, peaceful transfer of power has always been a challenge to democracy. When leaders are elected into public offices, they apply all manipulative tactics and breach the constitution to maintain their stay in office. This is what former President Alpha Condè did in Guinea. He amended the constitution through a referendum so that he could contest for a third term. That constitutional amendment reluctantly led to his overthrow. Another brighter example is the recent coup in Gabon - President Ali Bongo Ondimba whose family has ruled Gabon for more than half a century. The ousted president Alie Bongo-declared winner of the contested election was placed under house arrest, clearly a manifestation of unwillingness to leave power for others.
In conclusion, military intervention in today's democratic systems and the open support of these coup d'etats by the people technically demonstrate that there is some form of legitimacy in junta systems. It has occurred in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Gabon and Niger. The people are distancing themselves from the overthrown politicians in favour of the junta officers.
What this is telling us? It is a clear indication that there is a legitimacy crisis in today’s democratic administrations. This might stem from either the way elections were conducted (characterised by fraud) or politicians becoming dictatorial (transforming their administrations into the worst system of governments). And the only fruits that come out of such systems are those of hate, loss of trust and confidence, and legitimacy loss by civilian rule in favour of the populace’s desire and hugging of junta administrations.
Alie (Kelety) Bockarie is a graduate from the Mass Communication Department - Fourah Bay College and currently in Honours 1 Law Department Fourah Bay College.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (22/09/23)
