Coup d’états have dominated African politics since the end of colonialism for a number of reasons. Coup d’états continue to be condemned by several countries in Africa and indeed the African Union (AU). The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) is empowered by the AU charter to impose sanctions on countries and leaders who are involved in coup d’états. However recently, even the PSC has been unwilling to execute its mandate due to popularity of “ good coup d’états” especially in West and Central Africa. At one of its meetings to discuss the coup d’état in Chad, the PSC, after examining the report submitted by its fact-finding mission to Ndjamena and following lengthy discussions, decided against suspending Chad from the AU or imposing individual sanctions. Instead, it endorsed the Transitional Military Council (TMC) 18-month plan to restore constitutional order.
There have been several coup d’états in the West and Central African states since 2020 including in Gabon, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Gabon, Guinea and in Mali. They are regarded as “good coup d’états”, a new political phenomenon in African politics. The popularity and charisma of the leadership of these coup d’états have pushed the AU into a corner in terms of excluding and sanctioning those responsible.
The traditional academic framing of coup d’états labels these political events as undemocratic processes, their framing is based on “the rule of law”. What does the rule of law mean in unruly and lawless societies? Where governments do not respect civil rights and consistently violate constitutional and basic human rights of their citizens. Moreover, what happens in situations where elections are never held, continually postponed or results thereof meddled? Young African activists and scholars insist that in such instances coup d’états are legitimate democratic instruments.
There is an emergence of a radical school of thought within young African thinkers and academics regarding coup d’état. They argue that, given the sociopolitical realities in many dictatorships in Africa, the blanket condemnation of coup d’états needs a rethink. This thought is further motivated by the rise of young new leaders such as President Ebrahim Traore of Burkina Faso. This new young leadership, their style and method of governance deserve proper study and inclusion in African political thought from a new academic perspective.