Former French Colonies: The Coups D'Etat.
Some former French colonies in Africa are gaining notoriety due to a series of coups d'état. Political instability in the West African region has been constant since 2020.
Anti-French sentiments appear to have triggered, or at least contributed to triggering, coups d'état in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger and, more recently, Gabon.
Several political analysts point out that high levels of poverty, constant French influence and loss of confidence in democracy could be the main key factors.
Political Instability In Former French Colonies
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Since 2020, former French colonies in West Africa have been the scene of a series of coups d'état. Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Gabon were affected. Anti-French sentiment has been cited as one of the reasons behind this instability.
Senegalese human rights lawyer Ibrahima Kane of the Open Society Foundation said sentiments seeking to separate themselves from French influence are real.
“The perception that the French have of our citizens has never changed. They always considered us as second-class citizens.”
“They always treated Africans, particularly French-speaking Africans, in a certain peculiar way.”
“And West Africa wants this situation to change,” he said.
Many critics argue that France maintains excessive influence in countries that are former French colonies, often supporting existing governments regardless of their popularity. This resentment is directed both at democratically elected leaders and at governments that allow French military interventions.
On the other hand, African affairs analyst Emmanuel Bensah, an expert on the ECOWAS regional bloc, said that anti-colonial sentiments do not fully explain the recent coups d'état in the region.
“There has been a colonial issue with the French and the British in West Africa.”
“But this does not mean that every member state is taking up arms with soldiers.”
“The English-speaking countries have not taken up arms and yet we are in the same sub-region,” he said.
Loss of Faith in Democracy
In contrast to Anglophone Africa, where political stability is more notable, Western democracy has not become firmly established in Francophone West Africa. Many citizens feel that their elected leaders have failed to improve their lives. This has led to growing support for military coups, seen as a way to shake the system to achieve better results.
Unlike English-speaking Africa which currently has a relatively stable political climate, Western-style democracy has not gained a solid foundation in countries that are former French colonies.
“In French-speaking African countries, there is a feeling that the French have always been on the side of those in power, regardless of their popularity.”
“There is always a very strong connection between France and the government which, in many situations, is not very friendly towards its own population”, says Ibrahima Kane.
He adds that the same anger is being directed at democratically elected governments supported by France that allow military interventions.
In Niger, thousands of people gathered to support the military junta that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, echoing discontent with democratically elected governments.
Compared to Anglophone Africa, Francophone Africa has not yet developed effective governance systems and institutions to address development challenges. Civil society and the media have failed to adequately hold those in power in former French colonies to account.
Widespread Poverty
Widespread poverty is another underlying cause of coups d'état in former French colonies. France has been criticized for exploiting natural resources in these countries without adequately solving the economic problems of the local population. Growing frustration has caused many to lose faith in democratic processes.
Nigerian governance analyst Ovigwe Eguegu says elected leaders in former French colonies have done little to improve the lives of citizens.
“That’s why we have these populist coups. These are populist coups, we have to be frank”, said Ovigwe Eguegu.
For Eguegu, if people do not see the benefits of a democratically elected government, then there will be very little support for them in times of crisis.
“Why should they get involved in voting if nothing changes?” “For them, [scams] are seen as a way to shock the system to see if it can lead to a much better outcome.”
Eguegu said, although he admitted that the military leadership rarely improved the situation.
Bram Posthumus, an independent journalist working in West Africa, puts it more bluntly:
“One of the things that these successive coups demonstrate is the very clear notion that the experiment with Western-style democracy in the Sahel, at least, has been a complete failure.”
But, in some cases, it was internal struggles between the political class in power that triggered these coups. Days before his fall, Niger's deposed president, Bazoum, had planned to dismiss the current coup leader.
In Burkina Faso, disagreements between soldiers also triggered a second coup, after the military deposed President Roch Kabore in a coup d'état in 2022.
Endemic Poverty
Some experts have also attributed recent coups d'état to endemic poverty in many of France's former colonies.
Only in 2020 was the long-awaited bill ratifying the end of the CFA franc, a West African currency controlled by the French Treasury, approved. It took 75 years for this to happen.
Posthumus said that with these growing frustrations, citizens often lose trust and patience in democratic processes.
“Democracy has not solved any of people’s basic problems, be it violence, poverty and lack of economic opportunities.”
“And these boards are very adept at making people believe that they are going to solve these problems. But they won’t,” she said.
Civil Society
Emmanuel Bensah's concern, however, is that Francophone Africa has not yet fully developed competent governance systems and institutions to resolve development challenges.
“If we look at countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone, no matter how poor they are, there is a civil society actively working on the ground.”
“In addition to working together with a vibrant social media that seeks to hold at least those in power accountable,” he said.
Bensah said that Anglophone Africa was making enormous progress in amplifying different voices, which is not happening in Francophone Africa.
“The challenge was always due to the fact that, for a long time, many things were dictated by France”.
“This did not allow for the growth of civil society nor the maturation of social communication, to become the fourth institution that would seek to hold power accountable”, he concluded.
However, this does not mean that French influence is the only factor at play. Others, such as corruption, deficient governing capabilities and internal rivalries, also contribute heavily to political instability in the region.
Conclusion
Coups d'état in the former French colonies of West Africa result from a complex interplay of factors, including colonial resentment, French influence, poverty and discontent with democracy.
What is clear is that the situation in French-speaking West Africa is very complex with a range of external and internal factors contributing to recent coups d'état and political instability in the region. It is a problem that requires careful analysis and a multifaceted approach to find sustainable solutions.
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See also:
Gabon: Military rejects Ali Bongo's re-election
Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali want to return to the AU
Picture: © 2023 Francisco Lopes-Santos
