There is no better time than now as we celebrate the International Day of Democracy for Political leaders, stakeholders and policymakers to re-evaluate their purposes and priorities in the sustainability of democracy in West Africa with the wave of military coups in recent years. Africa had established an anti-coup norm after the Lomé Declaration of 2000, which mandated immediate suspension from the Organization of African Unity (African Union) for illegal seizures of power.

There was an average of four coup attempts in Africa between 1960 and 2000 after the Lomé Declaration of 2000 the period leading up to 2017 saw less than half this number, there has been nine successful coups from 2020 till date. The resurgence of coups in West Africa shows a catastrophic breakdown of the “Social Contract” which is the fundamental agreement between the governed and the government, citizens no longer trust the government to uphold their obligation in delivering the dividends of democracy or effect the changes the citizens desire through elections.

An African Proverb says, “when death takes your acquaintance, death is sending a warning to you”.  Political leaders and stakeholders must not look at Coups in isolation, we must take cognizance of the myriad drivers, causes and purposes for Coups in Africa. Though most of the African countries that have experienced Military take overs have a common theme of dissatisfaction in governance, economic hardships, insecurities. In some instances like the Burkina Faso  “anti-autocratic” coup in September 2022. Niger and Sudan have also seen Heads of States removed for continued degradation of security and poor socio-economic governance,

Political Leaders and Stakeholders

Democracy is defined as the government of the people by the people for the people. Are your citizens reaping the dividends of democracy? Are you addressing the dissatisfaction of the people? West African political leaders, stakeholders and policymakers must take action NOW to ensure the stability of democracy in the Continent.

Politicians must address coup triggers in their countries and work effectively in addressing these issues ranging from respect of term limits and electoral integrity, improve governance and systemic elimination of corruption, prioritize security and development to weaken military intervention.

Democracy is beyond the buzz and activities associated with elections. The electorate are stakeholders, they must be rightly positioned by being informed – knowing their rights and responsibilities, reject vote buying and selling, and hold their political leaders accountable to ensure the sustainability of democracy. There have been inconsistent responses to coups in West Africa by the international community which have further decreased anti-coup pressure with actors keen on forging relationships with putsch leaders. International bodies must remain unbiased in their in enforcing the consequences of power seizures to deter would be Putsch leaders.

In conclusion, reinforcing democracy in West Africa is not a single action but a continuous process which requires shared commitment from all sectors of society. We must move from a culture of impunity and strongman politics to a culture of accountability and inclusion. The recent wave of coup must serve as a wakeup call that defeating coups requires more than just condemning the act itself, it requires addressing coup drivers and ensuring that democratically elected governments are fundamentally effective and ensuring the electorate receives the dividends of democracy as promised by the elected leaders.