Africa appears to be undergoing an epidemic of coups. Less than a month after the revolution in Niger, soldiers overthrew President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, who had been in power for 55 years thanks to his family.
The coup leaders claimed that Bongo, 64, who succeeded his father Omar in 2009, was under house arrest and had one of his sons jailed for treason.
It is useful to observe that since 2020, military coups have taken place in five other nations. Two coups in Burkina Faso in eight months, one each in Sudan, Guinea, and Mali in nine months.
Africa had the most military coups since 1950, reaching 214, at least 106 of which were successful. There have been 486 military coups globally since 1950.
Nearly 45 out of the 54 countries in Africa have seen at least one coup attempt, according to American researchers Jonathan M. Powell and Clayton L. Thyne.It is safe to assume that Africa is the region of the world where coups occur most frequently, and the causes are not implausible.
The presidents of Cameroon and Rwanda reorganised their army following the coup in Gabon and retired some generals to deter future coup attempts. Some have blamed sit-tight leaders in the continent for the increase in coups.
After the Niger Coup, all of a sudden, I started seeing armchair foreign affairs and good governance experts on social media. It got to a point where some individuals on social media were calling for a coup in Nigeria. All of a sudden, people are idealizing military rule as the best thing since sliced bread.
.The truth is, no matter how imperfect our democracy is, military rule is never an option. Yes, our democracy is flawed, and politicians rig themselves into power, but there are still some positives. Besides, the military is no better than the politicians.
The question is, are all the countries being ruled by the military since 2020 faring any better? Have they delivered utopia to their citizens?
Also, those calling for military rule don’t know what military rule looks like. Social media would be regulated or banned, and all those overnight influencers wouldn’t have a job anymore. People who have made abusing others a favorite pastime on social media will realize they won’t have that luxury in a military regime.
Most times when soldiers take over, we hear the same old story of how corrupt the politicians are and how they promise to return the country to civilian rule in a year. In most cases, that is not the reality, and in the end, they become more corrupt than the civilians.
The misguided youths calling for military coups should know that military rule is not a guarantee of good governance.
No doubt, politicians in the continent need to start playing by the rules and respecting constitutional term limits. Two terms of four years are more than enough for any president to make their mark. The era of sit-tight presidents should be consigned to the dustbin of history. Another reason why our politicians in Nigeria and Africa don’t adhere to the rules is due to our weak institutions. We need to start building robust institutions in Africa to withstand the cunning and deviant behavior of some of our politicians.
As we navigate this turbulent sea of political unrest in Africa, it’s imperative to remember that the path to progress isn’t paved with military boots. While our democracies may be imperfect and our politicians flawed, we must resist the siren call of military rule.
The misguided calls for coups only serve to undermine the hard-fought gains of our nations. Imagine a world where social media is silenced, and freedom of speech is a distant memory. Is that the utopia we yearn for?
Instead of longing for quick fixes, let’s demand accountability from our leaders and insist they play by the rules. Term limits exist for a reason – to prevent the grip of power from becoming a stranglehold.
To truly build a brighter future for Africa, we must strengthen our institutions, making them robust and resilient. Only then can we withstand the whims of politicians who seek to bend the rules to their advantage.
So, as we confront these challenging times, let’s remember that democracy, with all its flaws, is still our best shot at a better tomorrow. Let’s cherish our freedoms, safeguard our institutions, and work together to create the Africa we envision – a continent where prosperity and democracy flourish hand in hand.
