In light of an increase in coups across French-speaking Africa, experts and policy makers are critically examining the efficacy of existing “anti-coup” mechanisms. Despite multiple international and regional policies aimed at curbing unconstitutional seizures of power, recent events suggest that these measures have largely failed to deter coup plotters.

According to Africa News Agency,, President of L’Afrique des Idées, several key milestones in anti-coup measures have been implemented in the past, such as the adoption of the Lomé Declaration by the African Union in 2000 and the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2001. However, Akemakou notes that these measures have not proven effective in preventing coups, citing examples from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, where economic and political sanctions had little impact on the new authorities but instead affected impoverished populations.

The measures have been further questioned in the context of Niger, where ECOWAS has even threatened armed intervention, a tactic that has failed to intimidate the military leadership and lacks broader support due to potential disastrous consequences for the region.

Akemakou’s analysis underscores the failure of the post-colonial state model in Africa, attributing it to a misalignment with communitarian social realities and an inadequacy in addressing the continent’s unique challenges, including ethnic diversity. He advocates for a “symbiotic state model” that takes into account Africa’s endogenous socio-cultural realities.

This call for institutional reform is echoed by several policy makers and scholars, who stress the need for a fundamental rethinking of state governance in Africa. Suggestions include a better distribution of political power, improved governance, and a fairer distribution of economic resources as ways to reduce the risk of coups.

Akemakou concludes that while coups in Africa are tragic, they are also part of the natural process of political consolidation and should not be viewed as anomalies. He contends that African states, like those on other continents, are in a phase of structuring and will eventually find their own governance models that suit their unique circumstances.