Military Coups In African Dictatorships: Liberation Or Retrogression?

By Neba-Fuh

There is no clear-cut difference between African dictators and military rulers. All of them either seized power conventionally or unconventionally; some before they stepped into power, others, during their endless reign.

When a Supreme Court Judge charged with proclaiming presidential election results of a 
nation openly declared that 'his hands are tight'; then went on and proclaimed the loser of that election 'victor'; that wasn't a coup?

When incumbent dictators 'doctored' election results weeks after polling stopped and later 
emerged with figures contrary to the people's wish; that's not a coup, right? When junior dictators in the name of District officers, Divisional officers, Senior Divisional Officers, (sous-prefets and prefets as the French call them), sit in their offices and execute orders from their bosses instructing them to alter electoral lists, barring citizens from a certain region or of  the opposition to vote,  that's not a coup, right?

When a Prime Minister of a Republic who is supposed to be well schooled on the Constitution of the nation he is representing, publicly declared that citizens resident in his region of origin, but who are not originally of that region (commonly tagged 'settlers') were not welcome to vote there; and requesting them to travel back to their regions of origin and vote there; that's not a coup plot?

When a dictator of a country manipulatively reconstructed his nation's Constitution with the help of sycophants who can't stop sitting on their brains, allowing the dictator to rule ad infinitum; that's not an endless coup, right?

When a dictator of a country and his cohorts plunder the people's treasury incessantly and live flamboyant life styles while his people drown in an abyss of abject poverty; that's not 
a coup, right? When Western powers support African dictatorships for selfish economic reasons, even though they are aware of the people's sufferings; that's not a coup, right?

Except for few emerging African democracies like Botswana, Tanzania, Liberia and a few 
others, most African countries have not and will not be liberated by the so-called African 
version of Western democracy.

The notion of dictators 'grooming' their successors is a blatant error which even African 
intellectuals are giving in to. How can we allow a thief to 'groom'  'somebody' to govern 
after his death? Which principles will he use to 'groom' him? Surely, we are imagining that 
the thief will groom his successor by telling him 'Oh boy, you know I made all these 
billions by stealing from the people's treasury, and you know I stayed in office this long 
because I rigged elections.

But, boy when you become President, don't steal, don't rig  elections'- Good ‘grooming’, eh? If the maxim' like father like son' makes some sense, then  Africans should be careful not to condone the notion that African dictators have to 'groom' their successors.

Some of these dictators have even interpreted that to mean 'willing' power to their sons, 
thereby creating quasi monarchies.In a functioning democracy, be it European or African styled, the people through their  parties 'groom' a leader. The parties have to lay down criteria for choosing a qualified person who can better manage their programmes if elected. If that is done the only logical next step is to introduce your programme and the person to the people through elections.

If that person is elected in a free and fair election, then that person becomes a President of a nation.In countries where independent candidates are accepted the procedure is the same. Introduce yourself and your programme to the people and let them decide by voting.

The notion of an expectant successor 'groomed' by a dictator is redundant. It will take 
Africa a century behind and of course, military regimes will emerge again, not because they are unavoidable, but because the present dictators are constantly paving the way for them.

Guinea- Conakry is a recent example. A country blessed with natural resources and its people caged by a dictator for over 24 years. Drowning in poverty for decades, the people are now holding tight to a 'snake' hoping that it can take them afloat - A junior officer of the military just seized power after the death of the country's long time dictator- a move 
apparently welcomed by the populace.

Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Egypt, Libya and many other African countries will one day have their ‘liberators’. They may come from barracks, who knows??? It will be called a 'coup'; but the question all of us should ponder on is: In a country where all democratic methods to change a seasoned dictator have been barred or made impossible, is a military coup an act of patriotism or subversion?   

              

Comments

[numvi]

To answer ur last question my brother, if we accept the fact that the military is the guarantor of national intergrity then in such situations as is the case in Guines the coup is an act of patriotism.

[DR TAN OF CAMEROON]

DEAR MR NEBA -FUH
I HAVE CHECKED OUT YOUR WEBSITE AND I LIKE WHAT IS FOUND THERE.
EDUCATION OF OURSELVES BY OURSELVES THROUGHT THIS INTERNET AGE WILL SERVE US GOOD. KEEP UP YOUR WORK
COMMENTING ON THIS PIECE;
I TAKE NIGERIA AS MY CASE STUDY , BSCAUSE I SPENT MANY YRS IN THAT COUNTRY STUDING.
I READ , AMADOU BELLOW, TO UNDERSTAND THE NORTHERNERS OF NIGERIA AND THEIR ASPIRATIONS. THEY FELT THEY WERE MARGINALISED , BUT KURANICALLY SUPPOSE TO RULE. SINCE THEY COULD NOT COMPETE OPENLY WITH THE SOUTHERNERS, THEY CARRIED OUT A LOT OF COUPS TO DICTATE, ACHIEVE THEIR AIMS.
OF ALL THE MANY COUP PLOTTERS FROM THE NORTH , LIKE BABANGIDA, AND THE BADCHILD[ABACHA] WHO WAS GROOMED BY MARADONA BABAGIDA, ONLY ONE BENVOLENT COUP PLOTTER WHO RULED[MURITALA MUHAMMED] IS STILL LOVED BY NIGERIANS , BECAUSE THEY SAY HE WAS A BENIOLENT MILLARY DICTATOR.
GROOMIMG IS LIKE MENTORING, WHICH IS NECESSARY IN LEADERSHIP, BUT CAN BE ABUSED, BY CIVILIAN OR MILITARY DICTATORS.
IT IS SAID THAT THE WORST CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT IS BETTER THAN THE BEST MILITARY GOVT.
THE PROBLEM PF CAMEROON ANF AFRICA , IS A PROBLEM OF TRANSITION , FROM THE COLONIAL ERA, TO A NEW ERA. THE SLAVE EMNTALITY LEADERSHIP, IS AFRAID TO TAKE TJE STEPS TO THE PROMISED LAND. WE NEED THE JUSHUA GENERATION TO STAND UP. NO TO MILIARY.
DR THOMPSON NTUBA