Democracy: The tragedy of military rule in Africa

Democracy: The tragedy of military rule in Africa

Ashley Mwanza

The situation which currently besets Africa shows, in an unbearable fashion, the immense dimension of the human tragedy which continues to impose its imprint on the African continent.

Soldiers assassinated the president of Guinea-Bissau João Bernardo Vieira, the democratically elected president, and the head of the army. The two were killed in what seemed to be a clash between two rival groups of soldiers.

Guinea-Bissau is one of several states on the agenda of the United Nations Peace building Commission, which aims to help poor countries avoid sliding back into war or chaos.

The country has struggled to combat recent growth in drug trafficking and organised crime, and also to sustain economic growth and political stability amid a series of civil conflicts, coups d’état and uprisings in recent decades.

Guinea-Bissau has for a decade been plagued with political instability and disruption, but the recent election victory by the PAIGC party had brought optimism in the country and abroad that stability may finally be assured. But yet again Guineans have to continue to face to this tragedy; the picture in Guinea Bissau is dismal.

I certainly don't profess to have the solution. Yes, things are very hard, but people don't just let things happen to them. People mostly have no choice, and it is often because the leaders don’t always turn out to be leaders.

Abject poverty, state collapse, lack of means and endemic corruption have made Guinea-Bissau a heaven for the Colombian drug lords. In a globalized world we leave in, not even remote and usually forgotten Guinea-Bissau is immune from its negative forces. In the end the solution to the narcotics problem in Guinea-Bissau lies in making the country a viable and prosperous state were its people have the minimum of hope.

Our global community, which derives strength from its diversity, is capable of paving the way for a future of greater social justice with better food security and to give concrete expression to greater solidarity amongst human beings.
We are a community that has lost its way in poverty, corruption, immorality and anarchy.

What is common is the portrayal of soldiers or the military institution as foe to democracy. For these views, an unbridgeable tension exists between military rule and democracy; and military rule irredeemably impedes democracy.

Such a conclusion is not off the mark. Anybody familiar with the history of military rule in Africa cannot help but agree that military intervention into politics has not proven good for the continent and constrains democracy.

Military participation into politics brings an end to any kind of democratic experimentation. Upon seizing power, soldiers typically suspend the constitution and govern by decrees, disband the legislature, abolish political parties, and outlaw many forms of political activities. Often, press freedom is curtailed and censorship imposition is not uncommon.

Today Guinea-Bissau mourns that tragedy yet again. Democracy remains as work in progress for Africa.