Paper short abstract:

Burkina Faso's interim president captain Traoré's take over through fiat has raised questions about the role of militaries in democracies in Africa as either enablers or gatekeepers of democracy. I interrogate how both domestic and foreign factors converged to enable the Burkina coup and lessons

Paper long abstract:

When captain Ibrahim Traoré deposed Burkina Faso’s interim president and fellow military man Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, he was quick to indicate that he was there to serve the interests of the republic and would quickly pave way for resumption to civilian rule by 2024. The youthful captain Ibrahim Traoré was shortly sworn in as interim president, carrying with him aspirations of the majority youthful population of Burkina Faso, who have more recently amplified anti-French sentiments in the west African country. Traore’s coming to power through fiat does not only resonate with democratic decline witnessed globally, but also raises questions about democracy in Africa, and whether it is inclusive and represents the majority. While the military in democracies are expected to remain in the barracks, the increasing popularity of military coups especially in West Africa raises questions of whether militaries can be enablers of democracy or simply gatekeepers. The seemingly increasing influence and preference for Russia in Burkina Faso and generally west Africa is also interrogated, to situate the role of France as a former colonizer to the evolving democracy in Burkina Faso and West Africa region. It concludes that the domestic challenges in Burkina Faso, and the inability of political elites to address them are fodder for military coups. While blaming France may be a scapegoat, deteriorating France’s popularity signals her failure to consolidate democracy, and justifies Russia’s/China’s entry and supposed preferences as symbols of alternative models.