Military coups and military regimes in africa by samuel decalo in the past several years there has been a proliferation of studies on coup detats in africa and the political role of african military structures. Military coups and military regimes in africa scientia. Pdf explaining african military coups detat, 19601982. In sum, by no means all african countries are predicted to have coups detat and in a substantial proportion of cases escape from future coups can be avoided only through international trade policies. The impact of military coup detat on political development. This report was pre pared for clingendaels netherlands institute for international relations project on coping with internal conflict. Leaders moving to ban opposition groups invariably attracted the military to step into politics. The ghanaian economy and its performance under military regimes 19721985 51 4. Collier has called for military takeovers in zimbabwe and elsewhere. Top 20 most brutal and ruthless dictators in africa african. Consequently, each region requires a tailored approach to mitigating coup. The fall of mugabe can be seen as the final chapter on coups against the original generation of leadership, but is unique in regard to the fate of the ousted leader.
Political military relations, and completed in april 2001. Centrality, and the struggle over the postcolonial state. It is in this wise, that this paper in the main, examines the impact of military coup. Ecowas and the african union should unanimously condemn and reject. Square department of peace and security, african union commission, p. Over two hundred years ago, the first and only military coup to rock australia was experienced. F i g u r e evolution of the aus policy on military coups and possible developments, in bold. Civilian control and military effectiveness in south africa. Dec 03, 2015 there have been more than 200 coups in africa in the past 50 years, and it is probably the most violent continent on earth. He organized a presidential election in 1998 and canceled in the interests of national security when he was losing.
One cannot be too sure that by the time the writin g on a particular coup is done, it would be an analysis of the second. Coup events both attempts and successes have declined considerably over the past two decades. On the other hand, while the coups detat in africa may spring from like. In sum, 38 of the 45 countries 84% saw some form of military intervention between the beginning of 1960 and the end of 1982. Tracing the development of a single african army coup detat does, i believe, tell more about soldiers and politicians, and their clashes and compromises, than a mere factual inventory of all the coups on the continent. It is clear from the excepts above that military coup in whatever form is. There were also 56 attempted coups and 102 reported coup plots. Africa network 6 our services 7 country profile 8 business and regulatory environment. The paper is an enquiry into civil military relations and leadership crisis in 21st century africa with emphasis on mauritania, guinea, niger and mali. The political and security challenges facing ecowas in the. As this weeks graphic shows, coup attempts are a common part of political life throughout africa. Introduction the story of deposed nigerien president mamadou tandja is an all too familiar one in africa. According to kirkgreene, scarcely onetenth of the successful military coups detat in africa have brought about handovers to civilians. As noted above, military coups were a normal occurrence in africa in the period prior to.
As noted above, military coups were a normal occurrence in africa. The military that brazenly and selfrighteously overthrew civilian governments. Growth of military statesas late as 1961 the african image had not been tarnished to any great extent by the incidence of military coups. Annual risk of coup report qualitative assessment of atrisk countries within asia, the americas, and africa found that each region contained diverse causes of political instability and unique drivers of coup risk. Africa, coups, african union, regional organizations, leverage. The army and the people levels of trust in the army 53. The army and the people attitudes to military rule 54. Military coups and military regimes in africa the journal. A probabilistic approach to the causes of coups detat. Nov 24, 2017 gnassingbe eyadema remains one of africa s longestserving dictator. Five of the most famous african coups egyptian revolution. Democracy had emerged as the most popularly accepted form of government.
However, both military organizations can be regarded as rather effective, despite financial, personal, and technical constraints. The resurgence of coups detat in africa expected council action on 9 april uganda circulated a draft presidential statement to council members that addresses the recent resurgence of coups detat in africa. From their independence in the 1960s through 2004, west african countries register 40 successful military coups and 80 failed coups attempts mcgowan 1986. Results also indicate that the aus effectiveness in deterring coups is not constrained in cases where they are expected to lack leverage. Armies have been analysed in terms of their social and ethnic composition, training, ideology, and socialising influences. Hence the civil military coalition in upper volta, the civilianised togolese regime, and the largely personal cliques of general idi amin in uganda, and general jeanbedel bokassa in the central african republic, have been dealt with as part and parcel of the same phenomena of. Civilian control and military effectiveness in south. The good thing for the rest of the continent is that ideas are contagious.
Its purpose is to support the au decision of 3 february on the resurgence of the scourge of coups detat in africa. List of coups and coup attempts by country wikipedia. Topographically, uganda is a landlocked nation lying astride the equator in central africa between longitudes 29. This paper explores the african unions effectiveness to combat military coups. Togo was the first country in west africa to experience a military coup when on january 1963 togolese soldiers, recently demobilised from the french colonial armies and facing unemployment as a result of refusal of their applications to join the miniscule togolese army, staged an armed coup that led to the assassination of president sylvanus olympio. Current and future trends in africa military coups in africa the african neocolonialism that is selfinflicted the wind of change, as mr.
Understanding the root causes of military coups and governmental instability in west africa open pdf 2 mb. Between 1960 and 1982, al most 90 percent of the 45 independent black. The political origins of african military coups international studies. These interventions took place despite high expectations of international and regional peace on the part. Military coups in africathe african neocolonialism. Pdf the african union as a norm entrepreneur on military. Documentation for a study of military government in tropical africa leiden. Military coups see beginning of their end in africa 10052015 12. It might have done some harm to nigeria political development, yet it recorded some successes. Such changes are evident in the military coups in mauritania and guinea in 2008, madagascar in 2009 and most recently in niger in february 2010. Chiwenga returned to zimbabwe on november and issued. This number is not inclusive of the numerous occurrences where individual administration leaders were removed by force without a change in regime.
The african military coup detat has accomplished the. Conscription in africa 34 list of tables in annex table 1. Africa has experienced 80 successful coups detat, 108 failed coup attempts, and 9 reported coup plots between 1956 and 2001 as noted by mcgowan. Coups detat, 19462015 list of coups and coup attempts 19462015, by the center for systemic peace. Uganda shares borders with republic of south sudan to the north, the republic of kenya to.
Understanding the root causes of military coups and governmental instability in west africa open pdf 2mb this thesis was written in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the masters of military art and science, general studies degree from the u. African military intervention in african conflicts. More narrowed research identifies the west african subregion as the most inclined to military coups. Eyadema became the president of togo in 1967 after he led a military coup against the incumbent president, a man he helped bring to power in a bloody military coup. He died of a heart attack in 2005, and his son faure was named the president of togo in controversial. Apr 17, 2012 it isnt polite to generalize but lets face it. Conflict trends in africa marshall page 1 of 7 coups detat in africa, 19462004 annex 2b. Decalo, coups and army rule in africa new haven, 1976. If africa of the 1960s and 1970s was a continent of coups detat, todays africa is a hotbed of insurgencies. Togo, congobrazzaville, and uganda that african military coups are.
The models produced are shown to support the theory and predictions for future coups and policy implications are considered. Indeed, the various controversial military coup detat might be undesirable, but it was not unexpected. Military coups in africa pdf continue when, in early november, general constantino guveya chiwenga, the head of the defence forces of zimbabwe, was on his way to china, his vicepresident emmerson mnangagwa was unceremoniously dismissed from the government and the ruling party of anupf. Even though coup events have declined globally, subsaharan africa has experienced a disproportionate number of coup events in the post2000 time period.
Military coups in africathe african neocolonialism that. The 1998 military intervention in lesotho by south africa and botswana was shrouded in controversy. Most global studies find africa as the most coups prone region. When, in early november, general constantino guveya chiwenga, the head of the defence forces of zimbabwe, was on his way to china, his vicepresident emmerson mnangagwa was unceremoniously dismissed from the government and the ruling party of anupf. It is in this wise, that this paper in the main, examines the impact of military coup detat on the political development of nigeria. Of all prior first generation leaders removed via a coup, each was imprisoned, exiled, or killed in association with the. Hannah armstrong, a tale of two islamisms, latitude. The most famous african coups and how they ended answers africa. From the perspective of military centrality theory 63. Economic community of west africa ecowas, which has of late. These interventions took place despite high expectations of international and. Recent military coups in africa include coups in mauritania, madagascar, guinea, guinea bissau, central african republic and togo. Eyadema is the pioneer of africa s first military coup detat, an act that soon became the political trend in africa.
From the time of the egyptian revolution in 1950s, africa has experienced over ninety military coups, though a number of them have been unsuccessful. Today, in the latest development in guineabissaus coup, the military said it wouldnt release the countrys. The army and the people levels of trust in the army 53 table 5. Coups detat, 194620 list of coups and coup attempts 194620, by the center for systemic peace. Page 105 note 1 the important question of what is a military regime has hardly been touched upon by most analysts.
Following the period from 19571960, when most countries in west africa broke loose from colonialism and became independent, the need for an integrated and classless. Military coups see beginning of their end in africa huffpost. Mar 22, 2017 institutions in south africa are somewhat stronger and are more democratically balanced than in ghana, where the military enjoys a certain amount of autonomy. The other answers offered all hit on many of the points, but i think you can summarize them in an approximate ranking of importance thusly. Apart from a few countries such as lesotho where the traditional coup or threat of it is still common, coups detat are now far fetched in africa. In 1991, popular protests led to a military coup against malian dictator. Top 20 most brutal and ruthless dictators in africa. Debunking the myth of the good coup detat in africa.
Apr 11, 2019 sudans president, omar albashir, has been overthrown in a military coup following widespread street protests against his rule. While researchers have differed over the precise factors leading to coups and the level of their predictability, this paper shifts the focus to political and economic determinants, which have hitherto escaped. It started with a military coup detat that took place on july 23, 1952, by a group of young army officers who named themselves the free officers movement. Roughly 70 percent of all coup events since 2000 have taken place in this region. This unwholesome trend in the face of subregional and panafrican norms proclaiming zerotolerance for unconstitutional changes in government poses a major challenge to the democratic project in africa. The army says it will now supervise a twoyear transitional period. List of coups detat and coup attempts since 2010 wikipedia. West africa with its 16 countries is the cradle of military coups and governmental instability totaling 44 coups.
In 1952, the egyptian revolution known as the july 23 revolution began. Writing about military coups in africa can be a fru strating experience. The impact of military coups detat on west africa s socioeconomic and political development, by maj. It has become something of a popular trope in the media to point out that attempted and successful coups in africa have been less frequent since the end of the cold war, but as this detailed data set shows, coups are only slightly less common. West africa with its 16 countries is the cradle of military coups and governmental instability totaling 44 coups in 50 years of independence. Coups in the world, 1950present database on coups and coup attempts 1950present, by jonathan powell and clayton thyne.
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