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Why does the military in Africa so persistently involve itself in politics?
The military has been a central yet ambivalent and often contentious institution in Africa's political evolution from the anti-colonial liberation struggles of the mid-twentieth century to the present day. Featuring ten case studies of civil-military relations in countries from across the continent that have recently experienced coups or coup attempts, this book provides a comprehensive and critical account of the military's role in shaping political authority, governance, and state-society relations in Africa.
It examines the motivations for military invention, including colonial legacies, economic crises, Cold War and recent East-West rivalries, and counterterrorism alliances, as well as strategies of legitimisation and the implications of porous civil-military boundaries for democratic consolidation across Africa. At the heart of these dynamics lies a fundamental tension between the military as a potential force for stability, nation-building, and professional service, on one hand, and its enduring function as a tool of elite power and coercive control, on the other. Chapters in the book interrogate this tension and the varied historical and political expressions it takes across the continent. Recent developments suggest the relationship between military institutions and political life remains deeply unsettled, and the volume concludes with suggestions for reform and a framework for 'coup-proofing' the future.
The military has been a central yet ambivalent and often contentious institution in Africa's political evolution from the anti-colonial liberation struggles of the mid-twentieth century to the present day. Featuring ten case studies of civil-military relations in countries from across the continent that have recently experienced coups or coup attempts, this book provides a comprehensive and critical account of the military's role in shaping political authority, governance, and state-society relations in Africa.
It examines the motivations for military invention, including colonial legacies, economic crises, Cold War and recent East-West rivalries, and counterterrorism alliances, as well as strategies of legitimisation and the implications of porous civil-military boundaries for democratic consolidation across Africa. At the heart of these dynamics lies a fundamental tension between the military as a potential force for stability, nation-building, and professional service, on one hand, and its enduring function as a tool of elite power and coercive control, on the other. Chapters in the book interrogate this tension and the varied historical and political expressions it takes across the continent. Recent developments suggest the relationship between military institutions and political life remains deeply unsettled, and the volume concludes with suggestions for reform and a framework for 'coup-proofing' the future.
Price: $130.00
Pages: 288
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Inc.
Imprint: James Currey
Series: African Issues
Publication Date:
19 January 2027
Trim Size: 8.50 X 5.43 in
ISBN: 9781847015402
Format: Hardcover
BISACs:
POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / African, Comparative politics, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Military Policy, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Security (National & International), POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Democracy, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Colonialism & Post-Colonialism, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Comparative Politics, HISTORY / Africa / General, HISTORY / Modern / 21st Century, HISTORY / Modern / 20th Century / General, Central / national / federal government, Political structures: democracy, Military forces and sectors, Military administration, Military and defence strategy, Decolonisation and postcolonial studies, African history
List of Illustrations
List of Contributors
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction: The Military and Political Power in Africa
Ibrahim Bangura and Idrissa Mamoud Tarawallie
2. Guardians or Disruptors to Democracy: The Military in Politics in Guinea-Bissau
Henry Mbawa
3. A Revolutionary Military and Political Power in Burkina Faso
Ibrahim Bangura
4. Guinea: Democratic Overreach and the Enduring Shadow of Military Rule
Ibrahim Bangura
5. Praetorian Cycles: Militarised Politics, Hybrid Regimes, and the Crisis of Democratic Legitimacy in Mali
Henry Mbawa and Idrissa Mamoud Tarawallie
6. Uniforms in Niger's Palace: Democratic Backsliding and the Enduring Authoritarian Legacy
Alex Sivalie Mbayo
7. Chad's Cycle of Organised Chaos: Coups D'état in a Fragmented Society
Idrissa Mamoud Tarawallie
8. From Praetorian Guard to President: The 2023 Gabonese Coup and the Paradox of Military-Led Transition
Mohamed Bangura
9. Liberation Clothing, Palace Politics: Zimbabwe's 2017 Coup
Ibrahim Bangura
10. The Khaki State: The Military and Political Authority in Sudan
Andrea Samantha Quaye and Irene Elorn Hatsu Fiebor
11. Military Power and the Legitimacy of Conditional Consent in Madagascar
Ibrahim Bangura and Henry Mbawa
12. Conclusion: The Military and Politics in Africa - Navigating the Paradox
Ibrahim Bangura and Idrissa Mamoud Tarawallie
Annexe 1. Africa's Coup League Table
Annexe 2. Africa's Coup Calendar
Index
List of Contributors
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction: The Military and Political Power in Africa
Ibrahim Bangura and Idrissa Mamoud Tarawallie
2. Guardians or Disruptors to Democracy: The Military in Politics in Guinea-Bissau
Henry Mbawa
3. A Revolutionary Military and Political Power in Burkina Faso
Ibrahim Bangura
4. Guinea: Democratic Overreach and the Enduring Shadow of Military Rule
Ibrahim Bangura
5. Praetorian Cycles: Militarised Politics, Hybrid Regimes, and the Crisis of Democratic Legitimacy in Mali
Henry Mbawa and Idrissa Mamoud Tarawallie
6. Uniforms in Niger's Palace: Democratic Backsliding and the Enduring Authoritarian Legacy
Alex Sivalie Mbayo
7. Chad's Cycle of Organised Chaos: Coups D'état in a Fragmented Society
Idrissa Mamoud Tarawallie
8. From Praetorian Guard to President: The 2023 Gabonese Coup and the Paradox of Military-Led Transition
Mohamed Bangura
9. Liberation Clothing, Palace Politics: Zimbabwe's 2017 Coup
Ibrahim Bangura
10. The Khaki State: The Military and Political Authority in Sudan
Andrea Samantha Quaye and Irene Elorn Hatsu Fiebor
11. Military Power and the Legitimacy of Conditional Consent in Madagascar
Ibrahim Bangura and Henry Mbawa
12. Conclusion: The Military and Politics in Africa - Navigating the Paradox
Ibrahim Bangura and Idrissa Mamoud Tarawallie
Annexe 1. Africa's Coup League Table
Annexe 2. Africa's Coup Calendar
Index