Coups don’t solve a thing - neither do corrupt regimes
A video grab shows Gabonese soldiers carrying General Brice Oligui Nguema (C), head of the presidential guard of ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba on August 30, 2023. PHOTO | AFP
Ali Bongo’s overthrow by his military brings the total number of coups or attempted coups in West and Central Africa to 10 in the past three years. Are we back to the 1960s and 1970s when coups were the order of the day?
In last week’s column, I argued that coups will not solve the fundamental crisis that underpins Africa’s underdevelopment — a crisis of leadership and the attendant crippling evils of corruption and mismanagement. We can even advance a rule of thumb: The more decrepit the leadership, the more corrupt and mismanaged the country.
