POLITICAL CRISIS IN AFRICA

Undoubtedly, Africa has had some difficult moments through transition
from colonialism to independence. For about fifty years many countries
within the continent had witnessed various crises, which had hitherto led
to instability in political and socio-economic spheres of the affected
nations.
In the period between nineteen sixty and nineteen seventy, the entire
continent was almost turned into a battlefield as a result of coups and
counter coups.
It may not be out of place to recall the incidence that ousted Sir Tafawa
Balewa and Doctor Nnamdi Azikwe as the Prime Minister and President of
Nigeria respectively.
During the same period, General Akrah overthrew the government of
President Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana, while Colonel Boumedienne in Algeria
also overthrew President Ben Bella.
Between nineteen eighty and now, changes of government through coup
d’etats had also occurred in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Equitorial
Guinea and Niger Republic, to mention a few.
No doubt, the coup d’etats had made the military regimes to become the
most prevalent political phenomena in Africa more than civilian regimes.
In Nigeria for example, out of about fifty years of existence as a
sovereign nation, the military had ruled for twenty-nine years, leaving the
remaining twenty years for the civilian governments.
However, their incursion into existing democratic practice was always
attributed to the failure of democratically elected leaders to respect
the social contracts between them and the electorate.
Internal political problems, corruption, maladministration, favouritism
and nepotism, as well as tribal or ethnic factors were usually listed as
part of reasons for their intervention or taking over from civilian
governments.
It is therefore pertinent to note that their intervention have been
directly or indirectly linked with personal ambitions and the craving for
power by some specific key players, as it could be seen in the case of
Dahomey in nineteen sixty-five, Uganda in nineteen seventy-one and Togo
in nineteen sixty-three.
Up till today, the coups have not improved African economic conditions
rather, they have been source of political tension because the coups had
driven the continent into further suffering.
Hence, the recent bloodless coup d’etat in the West African country of
Niger Republic has also brought to fore, the phenomena of military
incursion in Africa. The coup had however generated wide criticism among
the international community.
It is a known fact that the former President of the country, Mamadou
Tandja altered the country’s constitution to remain in power beyond the
end of his second term in office. In addition, his government became
unpopular, and was criticized and condemned by the international
community to the extent that some countries and international bodies
severe their ties with the country.
To this end, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the
Africa Union (AU) and other relevant international organizations should
as a matter of urgency work towards ensuring democratic governance in the
country within the agreed six months as promised by the Junta.
The international bodies should also strive to create a practicable
institutional framework that would compel democratically elected
government in Africa to respect constitutions of their respective
countries and avoid clinching to power for selfish interest.
Electoral malpractices, bad leadership, corruption, nepotism and other
hurdles to democratization process in Africa should be checked to ensure
that the continent is safe for all to live in.