The military, militarization and democratization in africa. Military intervention in theory and practice portsmouth research. Does military intervention have to be authorized by the united nations security council in order to be legitimate. Oct 15, 2003 the united states is facing increasing international pressure to play a more prominent role on the worlds most troubled continent. Third world perspective the developing region or the third world. Conflict and state security in the horn of africa 43 1981 to resist authoritarianism and brutality against the deprived people. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves. It focuses on the main european actors who have deployed troops in africa. An analysis of military intervention in rwanda, the drc and lesotho. Military intervention has become a very important expression in the early 21st century because over the past 20 years many small or weak nations have fallen prey to terrorist uprisings andor invasions either by neighboring countries or by militants using.
The coup detat, increasingly employed and regularized as the method of changing government personnel, will remain in the dominant format for political alteration. Military intervention and prospects for democratization frederic s. An introduction to african politicsis the ideal textbook for those new to the study of this vast and fascinating continent. The democratic republic of congo as a case study introduction this paper refers to patterns of influence, control, and subordination between the armed forces and the wider social environment. The history of military intervention in african politics dates back to. Modern history is littered with examples of western military interventions in africa, and although western governments cited humanitarian obligation as the driving force, the military actions often masked economic ambition. Military interventions in politics are very common both in developing democratic or totalitarian regimes. Upon obtaining independence from colonial rule in the late. Armed strength and defense expenditures of african states in 1966. What accounts for military interventions in politics. The first argues that there are certain characteristics inherent in the nature of modern military organizations which dispose the military to intervene in politics. Department of political studies, university of cape town, south africa. Causes and consequences of the eus military intervention in.
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the complexity of evaluating the political role of thirdworld militaries and to underline the necessity of including many different kinds of information into analyses of that role. United states military intervention and the promotion of. This excellent collection takes a fresh look at an important area, badly in need of updating. Whether your country is democratic or totalitarian, you can still get the military forces involved in politics. Second, it offers some suggestions on ways in which constitutional and political strategies can be used to control the military s recurrent intervention in politics in africa. The most vulnerable places of military rule have been latin america, the middle east and the newly independent countries of africa and asia. As an instrument of legitimate coercion, the military plays a key role in its response to civilian initiative. Cotedivoire pages 114120 to what extent did clientelism legitimate personal rule in postcolonial africa. Extra african powers will continue to have a significant and direct effect on interstate conflict in africa, most notably as purveyors of military equipment and financial assistance. African international relations oau ended in 2002 and african union au began, hoping to build on successes of oau in continuing search for african unity. Fako johnson likoti submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of. French and us approaches compared stephen burgess, phd r ecent conflicts in africa have demonstrated the need for foreign military intervention to prevent violent extremist organizations veos from expanding their areas of.
The basis of military interventions in politics has explained the dilemma of military. The intervention of military in the political scene of nigeria was not totally a surprise to most political observers and thinkers. Who benefits and how nicole ball swedish institute of international affairs summary. Existing of various problems in third world countries after their independent attract the military.
Causes and consequences of the eus military intervention. National rivalries and ethnic sentiments reflected in the national politics led to a military intervention in january 1966. October 29 alex thomas, an introduction to african politics, chapter 7, coercion. Academic journal article canadian social science military intervention in the nigerian politics and its impact on the development of managerial elite. Pdf on sep 18, 2018, craig bailie and others published the african military in a. Pdf military interventions in politics are very common both in developing democratic or totalitarian regimes. The term military interventions embraces successful and. If politics is understood as authoritative allocation of values, then all participants in the political process intervene in politics at one point or another. Foreign intervention in africa by elizabeth schmidt. Five reasons for military intervention in nigerian politics. The failure of the opposition to fill the power vacuum left behind by siad barre after his flight into exile in 1991 marked the beginning of disintegration of somalia.
The result is a textbook that identifies the essential features of african politics, allowing students to. The last three years have seen humanitarian organizations calling for military intervention in bosnia, somalia, rwanda and elsewhere. Military intervention in politics is a very common problem faced by developed and developing countries. Military intervention in the nigerian politics and its impact on the development of managerial elite.
Gambias president agrees to step down, following threat of. There is a scholarly position that holds there is no country in the world where the military does not intervene in politics. United states military intervention and the promotion of democracy james meernik department of political science, university of north texas all through history, when united states presidents have sought to explain or defend us military interventions in. Jul 20, 2014 military intervention has become a common characteristic in developing countries. What should africans expect from their constitutions.
The context of the call for military intervention in africa the last three years have seen humanitarian organizations calling for military intervention in bosnia, somalia, rwanda and elsewhere. Pdf the african military in a democratic age researchgate. Ethiopias military intervention in somalia in december 2006, its ongoing military. So our dependent variable is a number of reported coups between 1970 and 1980, for an 11year period.
The contributors to the military in african politics have divided the regimes into three categories or case studies. Since the time of independence in 1960, the military have held on to power for a record of 29 years. Many reasons have been adduced to explain the frequency of military intervention in the politics of african states with nigeria as a case study. Causes and consequences of the eus military intervention in the democratic republic of congo. A realis t explanation catherine gegout i introduction according to international rescue committee data from april 2003, an estimated 3. Political culture of developing countries and nature give the space for military intervention. Predicting african military coups, in futures london, 15, 4, 08 1983, pp. Military intervention in africas conflicts as a route to peace. Are economic motives relevant to military intervention in. With the collapse of authoritarian regimes in eastern europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the world moved. Why military rule should be discouraged in african politics. The right of intervention under the african unions. D student of political science at the department of political science university of ibadan ibadan, nigeria abstract the military is not by inclination trained to rule, but to defend.
Reasons for military intervention in politics world news. The 19902000 civilian leadership in africa is basically globalist to the extent that it has yielded its power to international donors. Military intervention in african politics a comparative study babatope, ebenezer on. Military intervention in the nigerian politics and its impact. These studies focus on the characteristics of the officers who came to poweryoung or old, revolutionary or conservative, on each countrys particular problems, and on the strategies used by the military leaders to stay in power. The military in african politics sais studies on africa harbeson, john on. The continuing civil wars in liberia and the congo, the specter. Foreign intervention in africa, elizabeth schmidts survey of external meddling in the internal affairs of african countries from the era of decolonization and the cold war to the present period of the war against terror is a masterpiece.
Thus senegal, zaire, cameroon or somalia become exemplars of african politics and african political systems in general. Some research on the coup detat in latin america and africa brings regional. Jan 20, 2017 gambias president agrees to step down, following threat of military intervention. A case study of pakistan and bangladesh muhammad dawood ms scholar politics international relations military in pakistan and bangladesh has been deeply involved in politics all over the history. The south african government is more prone than the smith regime to accept political solutions as evidenced by their policy of entente. At the level of the rankandfile, a newly introduced quota.
The role of the military in politics has attracted the attention of political scientists all over the world. By the end of 1966, military intervention in politics in africa had become endemic with some countries suffering from coups and counter coups. According to this model the military intervenes in politics for three reasons which are personal power enhancement, poor socio economic and also the personal interest of the military s top office holders. Recent works by mark peceny 1999a and 1999b suggest. It is pointed out that military government is associated with their own class benefits and popularity. National rivalries and ethnic sentiments reflected in the national politics led to a military intervention. Causes of military intervention in politics in nigeria. African state world politics military intervention reagan administration european power these keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. Professor smiths research focuses on citizenship in. There are various theories about the causes of military interventions. Political instability in africa where the problem lies and. Without soviet support, cuba could exacerbate existing regional.
Finer 2008 argues that military intervention in politics can be explained through the personalist model. The course website for university of nairobis cps 422, the military in african politics, module ii. Politics in a majority of african states will continue to be shaped in the year 2000 by military leaders. European scientific journal august 2014 special edition issn.
It is a military intervention when a country is envisaged to be building nuclear weapons and others send troops to destroy them. Following the period from 19571960, when most countries in west africa broke loose from colonialism and became independent, the need for an integrated and classless. How relevant are economic motives when states decide to intervene militarily in africa. Mar 05, 2014 military intervention according to fawole 1994 is defined as the conscious act of displacing and supplanting an existing political order, a government, by soldiers with the objective either of governing or influencing the political affairs of the country in particular direction determined largely by the interventionists themselves. Pdf military intervention in the nigerian politics and its. Between 1960 and 1980 threequarters of latin american states experienced coups, as did half of the third world asian states and over half of the african states.
Overview of politics in the postcolonial era african politics in the postcolonial era has been marred by authoritarianism, corruption, military intervention, and leadership failures amidst a broader socioeconomic crisis characterized by poverty. Foreign intervention in africa foreign intervention in africa chronicles the foreign political and military interventions in africa during the periods of decolonization 195675andthe cold war 194591, as well as during the periods of state collapse 1991 2001 and the global war on terror 200110. Conventional wisdom suggests that ethnicity is phenomenally problematic in africa it is held partly responsible for the irrationalities of the development project, for political instability and weak national identity. When conflict occurs in africa, the response of european actors is generally inaction. African states are using to address the threats to their present existence.
First, it examines the various aspects of the involvement of the military as governors in the politics of african states. Politics from the viewpoint of the typical african politician is seen as a profession where one could enrich himself at the expense and disadvantage of the poor people and so when that happens, and the military is compelled to interfere in the body politics of a state, the people tend to give support to them. Africa s legacy of military involvement in politics will ensure that the military continues to play a role in the ongoing processes of political transition for some time to come. The operationalization of military intervention in politics four our model is a coup detat. The context of the call for military intervention in africa. African military intervention in african conflicts. Francoafrican dynamic which has operated largely independently of global bloc politics and geostrategy.
Pdf on feb 1, 2016, ibrahim yusuf and others published military and. The presence of opposition groups which do not share the same ideology with those in the military has forced at times the. Pushing ahead from previous discussions of why the military came to power and how it relates to civilian technocrats, the authors look at how the military has ruled and, in the most interesting instances, what sorts of political institutions it has created. He further explained the causes of military interventions in politics is that military always come for the short period but history tells us military never returned back the government to the civilian in proper way. Military intrusion in african politics, usually in a coup, is one of the hurdles facing democratisation in africa reutersarnaud brunet in a democratic state, military intrusion in politics inhibits democracy because intrusion involves moving beyond constitutionally and democratically mandated roles and goes against the authority vested in democratically elected civilians. Violence and military involvement in african politics from independence through 1968. Military intervention in the nigerian politics and its. The intervention of military in the political scene of nigeria was not totally a surprise to most political observers. Pdf what accounts for military interventions in politics.
The impact of military coups detat on west africa s socioeconomic and political development, by maj. The military in african politics sais studies on africa. These accounts can be persuasive precisely because such states are indeed exemplars but not of all african states, only of significant and distinct subsets. Military intervention in african politics a comparative. Pearson, scott walker, and stephanie stern abstract even before the iraq war of 2003, a body of literature was developing concerning the possibility of implanting democracy in developing states. Fako johnson likoti submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of phd.
Reasons for military intervention in nigerian politics the nigerian military has registered their unequivocal and unquestionable presence in the political atmosphere of the nigerian state. The us reaction to intervention in rhodesia, of corse, will tend to circumbscribe its policy toward south africa. Unfortunately most african leaders refused to budge and where they did, it was for political convenience not conviction, and so the military rode on. According to ezenwa 1987 one of the political events of the first republic was the military intervention, takeover into political affairs and civil war in the country within the period of 1966 and 1979.
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. During the cold war, in the time of political crisis military was in the front line as a political instrument. Alex thomas, an introduction to african politics, chapter 6, case study. Advancing military professionalism in africa the web site cannot. The strategies are regional intervention forces, private security companies, and westernsponsored upgrades of state militariesand i argue that they are likely to fail unless african states emphasize indigenous military professionalism. Conceptual clarification of terms some of the important terms that would engage our minds in this discourse include. Democratic transition, military withdrawal from politics, coups, re intervention, arab world 1. Both relief agencies and human rights organizations have vocally implored the united nations, or individual western countries, to dispatch troops to strifetorn nations facing humanitarian disaster. The nature and results of military coups by direct or indirect military intervention are different. By the year 2000, some african states algeria, morocco, nigeria, possibly kenya, sudan, zaire, and others will be selfsufficient in production of ordnance. In fact, military intervention as a political concept can be very confusing if not properly situated.
According to mcbride, the military intervene in political affairs mainly for reasons of personal greed, being moti vated by the rents they hope to ex tract once they. Africa was primarily due to the intervention of the military on the political scene. Armies have been analysed in terms of their social and ethnic composition, training, ideology, and socialising influences. Although military rule has become less common during the past two decades, the military still governed 19% of the worlds countries in the. Military intervention means the political authority belongs to military over civilian authority. The new external security politics of the horn of africa. Civil strives and the politics of religion in some part of african countries like nigeria and sudan. A survey of literature and issues volume 37 issue 2 robin luckham. The need to consolidate power has opened up for the struggle for power at all levels within society even outside elections. The other reason of military intervention relates to the social mobilization, common interest and class makeup, religion, economic expansion, colonial inheritance and history tells us all these things. Political change came about far more frequently through military intervention in politics than through open, competitive elections.
Military intervention seems endemic in subsaharan africa. It makes sense of the diverse political systems that are a feature of africa by using familiar concepts, chapter by chapter, to examine the continent as a whole. The impact of military coup detat on political development. For example the obas of the south west of nigeria, the. Reasons for military intervention in nigerian politics. Theories of military in african politics springerlink. Military intervention in nigerian politics searchlight on the nigerian army from january 15, 1966 to may 29, 1999 and civilian and military politicians in nigeria by ajisola ewuola, ajis ajet.
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