Mali and the Slow Decline of Military Dictatorships

What the decline of military leaders in Africa portends is that African peoples are gradually coming to terms with the fact that the state must be accountable to them and should not be the exclusive preserve of a privileged few.

Written by Promise Frank Ejiofor

Oct 7, 2020

African peoples are gradually coming to terms with the fact that the state must be accountable to them and should not be the exclusive preserve of a privileged few. MINUSMA/MARCO DORMINO/FLICKR

On 18 August 2020, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, the president of Mali, was ousted by the Malian military under the auspices of Colonel Assimi Goita. This coup, one of many in the political history of the troubled West African state, was cheered on by ordinary Malians who, for months, have protested against the insecurity, poverty and unemployment they insist is caused by the greed and incompetence of Keïta’s government.

While this ‘unconstitutional’ change in Mali’s political order enjoys support from the political opposition and the majority of Malians, the military intervention has received condemnation from regional and continental organizations such as the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as well as by states including Turkey; the United States, Nigeria, Angola, Algeria, China, and South Africa, all of whom demand a restoration of constitutional order and the rule of law. These contrasting reactions raise important questions. Should transitions through non-democratic, unconstitutional means—like coups—be legitimized especially when they are supported by the people? What is the value of the democratic process?

Since 1952, there have been over 476 coups globally, 206 of which have been attempted in Africa. What coups everywhere share is that they are fuelled by a deficit—real or perceived—in governance, a deficit the military purports to correct by a swift and potent recalibration of the existing political order. Coup-prone states are of course beset by elevated levels of poverty and insecurity, the atmosphere of instability that has bred coups not only in Mali but in Sudan, Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe.

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About the Author

Promise Frank Ejiofor

holds an MPhil in Social Anthropology from Trinity College, University of Cambridge. His research interests lie at the intersection of nationalism, citizenship, ethnic politics, and international security.

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Mali and the Slow Decline of Military Dictatorships