In a bold address to the UN General Assembly, Col. Mamadi Doumbouya, Guinea's interim president post the 2021 coup, defended the recent spate of military coups across Africa. He urged global leaders to delve deeper than mere condemnation, suggesting they address the underlying causes.
Doumbouya, who led the coup against then-President Alpha Conde, argued that these coups were reactions to presidents' "broken promises" and their manipulation of constitutions to cling to power indefinitely. "The real putschists are those who cheat to manipulate the constitution's text to stay in power eternally," he stated.
The continent has witnessed eight coups since 2020, with Niger and Gabon being the latest. While these military takeovers have been met with international criticism, they often receive support from local citizens. Concerns about Africa's stability are growing, especially given its burgeoning young population, projected to constitute a quarter of the global populace by 2050.
Doumbouya criticised African leaders who amend constitutions to remain in power, often to the detriment of their nations. He justified his actions in Guinea to prevent the country from descending into "complete chaos", attributing such coups to leaders' unfulfilled promises and constitutional tampering.
Furthermore, Doumbouya rebuked Western nations for their attempts to intervene in Africa's political affairs. He expressed the continent's weariness of being categorised under various influences, asserting, "Today, the African people are more awake than ever and more than ever determined to take their destiny into their own hands."
However, doubts persist regarding the efficacy of military coups in resolving the issues they claim to address. For instance, the Islamic State group in Mali has expanded its territory since the military took over in 2020.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, leading efforts to reverse the coup trend in West Africa, remarked, "Military coups are wrong, as is any tilted civilian political arrangement that perpetuates injustice."
Doumbouya, who led the coup against then-President Alpha Conde, argued that these coups were reactions to presidents' "broken promises" and their manipulation of constitutions to cling to power indefinitely. "The real putschists are those who cheat to manipulate the constitution's text to stay in power eternally," he stated.
The continent has witnessed eight coups since 2020, with Niger and Gabon being the latest. While these military takeovers have been met with international criticism, they often receive support from local citizens. Concerns about Africa's stability are growing, especially given its burgeoning young population, projected to constitute a quarter of the global populace by 2050.
Doumbouya criticised African leaders who amend constitutions to remain in power, often to the detriment of their nations. He justified his actions in Guinea to prevent the country from descending into "complete chaos", attributing such coups to leaders' unfulfilled promises and constitutional tampering.
Furthermore, Doumbouya rebuked Western nations for their attempts to intervene in Africa's political affairs. He expressed the continent's weariness of being categorised under various influences, asserting, "Today, the African people are more awake than ever and more than ever determined to take their destiny into their own hands."
However, doubts persist regarding the efficacy of military coups in resolving the issues they claim to address. For instance, the Islamic State group in Mali has expanded its territory since the military took over in 2020.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, leading efforts to reverse the coup trend in West Africa, remarked, "Military coups are wrong, as is any tilted civilian political arrangement that perpetuates injustice."
