The Debate of Democracy and the Army in West Africa.. Are There Good Coups?

SadaNews - An analytical article titled "West Africa.. Are There Good Coups?" highlighted the military changes that have overthrown political systems in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali, causing a strong震动 in the African political scene.

For many in the West and within traditional ruling circles, these coups represent a serious setback for democracy, but on the ground, among the youth and ordinary citizens, a different narrative is forming, proposing the idea of liberation from decades of looting by elites, false promises, and a theatrical democracy that has delivered nothing tangible.

The article approached the topic from a perspective that goes beyond discussing the legality and constitutionality of coups, seeking to answer the question: Is there such a thing as a good coup?

The article pointed out the idea that across much of Africa, a long-standing confusion has existed between symbolic elections and a democracy that embodies the will of the people, as African leaders appear before cameras taking oaths on constitutions, claiming legitimacy through ballot boxes, while state coffers are looted in secrecy, public services collapse, and policies are imposed by foreign powers through debts and conditional aid.

The report questioned the elections that have taken place over the past decades in the Sahel region of West Africa and what results they have yielded for the people, as those countries remain at the top of the insecurity list, suffering from poverty, famine, and lack of education.

The article added that democracy in many African countries has turned into a false facade to appease international donors, through which leaders resort to designing constitutions to prolong their terms in power, while the people continue to suffer from poverty.

A Generational War

The article emphasized that what is happening with coups, especially in West Africa, particularly in the Sahel countries, is not political transformations, but rather a revolution or confrontation between generations nearing their end and youth still at the beginning.

As an example, the ruling political class in most African countries emerges as generations that have participated in governance for six decades, some of whom experienced pre-independence and are over 80 years old, yet still cling to their privileges.

Conversely, the region, where youth under the age of 25 represent about 60% of the population, sees their future evaporate as they remain unemployed and under-educated.

In this context, the article noted that the coups in the Sahel are the height of this anger triggered by the elites’ corruption and resource plundering, as young officers have not only toppled governments but have dismantled the entire system, representing a new vision and direction centered on liberation from colonialism and its allies.

Recent changes in the region have proven that the youth bloc is no longer just a demographic number, but rather a powerful and influential political force, ready to act outside constitutional frameworks.

Is There Such a Thing as a Good Coup?

The most important idea discussed in the article is whether democracy can be bad and if there such a thing as a good coup?

From this standpoint, if democracy means endless elections that change nothing, then perhaps there is room for disruption.

Although the coups in the Sahel are not ideal and carry risks, they have achieved something rare, restoring to the people a sense of dignity and nationalism.

In the context of what the coups have accomplished, the article noted that Captain Ibrahim Traoré found no effective state but inherited a collapsed one, and in a short period, he demonstrated that political will can begin to address a war-torn, impoverished country.

Source: Africa Report