Military and security analysts are beginning to pay more attention to presidential guards across a growing number of African countries who are wielding as much power as the official heads of the Armed Forces.
Though that is how some African heads of state want it, promoting trusted aides and demanding personal loyalty h is having dire effects on the sustainability of democratic rule on the continent.
After a period of relative democratic stability in the African continent prevalence of coups d’etat has suddenly become the trend at a time military rule is highly abhorred all over the world and considered an aberration and anathema.
LEADERSHIP Sunday checks showed that there were six coup attempts in Africa, four of them successful in 2021 and there were two in Burkina Faso in 2022 as well as failed coup attempts in Guinea Bissau, the Gambia and the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe.
The latest in the series of military takeover of power from democratically elected governments in Africa took place in Gabon recently just a month after soldiers took control in Niger.
A new model of coups that is less violent being established in the African continent. They are being executed by the most trusted allies of the presidents and in at least two countries, the presidents were simply detained by their guards.
Security and foreign affairs experts who spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday are of the view that African leaders, the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union are focusing and responding to the wrong set issues.
Abdourahamane Tchiani who on July 26, 2023 carried out a bloodless coup against the elected president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum was head of the presidentially i guards. He was a loyalist of the previous president, Mahamadou Issoufou but was retained by Bazoum.
More chilling is the relationship between ousted Gabonese leader, Ali Bongo who could only trust his cousin, Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema to head the presidential guards’ unit. That trusted cousin is the officer who on August 30, 2023 detained him in a bloodless coup just when he thought he had won another term in office.
In the wake of coups in military veterans have said Nigeria is vulnerable to coup d’etat owing to the existence of motivating factors for the coups.
Colonel Hassan Stan-Labo (Rtd) speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday said lack of accountability, good governance and election controversies are enablers of coup, adding that all these exist currently in Nigeria.
“I still stand on that position that only good governance and accountability can serve as a motivation against coup d’etat.
“Giving the wave of coups we are seeing now within the francophone countries which I refer to as the francophone spring, one cannot vouch for any country today in Africa that this thing cannot happen”.
He stated that a look at the situation on ground indicate that even those countries that democracy is supposed to have taken some firm root in, “the people still have their reservations. They are only just managing with their governments, not to even talk of looking into our own situation here in Nigeria”.
“Lack of accountability, good governance and election controversies are enablers of coup. If you look at our own situation,we could talk of election controversy ,that is quite true, but there is some level of maturity in some of these countries so that they are able to hold on to see that processes such as judiciary take their due cause”.
The veteran pointed to the irony that these coups are all orchestrated by the presidential guards who are entrusted to protect the number citizen and his family.
“We too have presidential guards, who administratively report to Army HQ. The guards brigade commander is answerable to the chief of army staff. Like we have seen in these countries, it is that nucleus element brigade of guards who we expect to show so much loyalty to the number citizen and protect him. Yet, those are the ones who are carrying out these coups.
“It is not elements from far outside. It is these ones who you have actually entrusted with all powers to protect the number one citizen, they are the ones that have now turned around to use those instruments of power to oust the government in power.
Also speaking, a public and private security analyst and trainer, Major Banjo Daniel (Retired) said, “Usually, the commanders of the guards formations are trusted men of the nation’s Head of Government, but still answerable to the army chiefs, with whose consents coups are activated.
“If one studies the nations with coup situations presently, a common factor among them is the combination of long serving HoG saddled with corruption and suffering of the people. African leaders with their corrupt attitude and carelessness for the masses requires a rethink,” he said.
Crefit: Leadership