Citizens support military leaders due to bad governance – Dr. Folashade Soule

Dr. Folashade Soule, an international relations expert and a visiting professor at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD) has claimed that military leaders may have the backing of some citizens after a coup due to bad governance by democratic-elected governments.

Delivering her keynote speech at a public lecture organized by LECIAD on March 1, 2023, on the theme; “The emerging role of new security 'security partners' in the Sahel: What risks for coastal West Africa”, the scholar explained that, data available suggests that a significant number of the population of countries where coups take place can support their military leaders in the beginning over their elected leaders due to bad governance.

She explained, “When we look on a large scale, a lot of the people, or majority of them do not support coups and military leaders over their government. However, for example, in Burkina Faso, citizens publicly criticized their elected government for failing to control the insecurity and rising number of terrorist threats in the country which led to the January 2022 coup. ”

Dr. Soule acknowledged that there are populations in the Sahel countries who supported rebel groups to register their anger and disappointment in their elected officials.

“Of course, there are a few people who support insurgency groups for personal benefits and largely to protest their disappointment in their governments for failing them and not because they denounce democracy.”

EAN/BB