Military Coups in Former French West Africa and the Challenges of Democratic Governance in Twenty-First-Century Africa

Empirical evidence demonstrate that peace is a prerequisite for sustainable development. Countries in protracted conflict will therefore find it difficult to keep track in the development agenda. In former French colonies of Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Gabon, there has been a wave of military takeovers, hence raising the question of African democracy, and whether it has really represented the interests of the majority. While the coups have been largely bloodless, and there is a semblance of peace after these coups, it is not clear how long this was likely to hold, considering the threat of military action from ECOWAS to Niger, and the likelihood that coups are likely to create counter coups. Based on O’Donnell et al (1988) theory of loss of legitimacy, it argues that while selected West African countries experience some form of liberalization, they are often not fully democratized. As a result of its colonial past, and the underlying legacies in the postcolonial state, there is a challenge of maintaining the legitimacy of the state. Reviewing existing literature, data is thematically analyzed and while contemporary emerging issues are placed into focus. It concludes that while military takeovers in former French West Africa is grounded in their historical dynamics, contemporary domestic and foreign factors have made the ground rife for coups, challenging the prospects of African democracy. While it envisages an African democracy, where the military and civilian population are perceived as pursuing and representing the interests of majority of the people, and where transition to civilian leadership will follow, it is cautious that military takeovers may be selfish, create dictatorships and may be highly unpopular with time.