The Military, Militarism and State Integrity in Africa

This chapter examines the enduring problem of militarism in Africa, and two of its major types: coups d’etat and irregular warfare. In the case of coups, the chapter traces their origins on the continent to the early post-independence era. In terms of their major causes, the chapter identifies various societal and military-specific factors. In the case of the former, societal pathologies such as mass poverty and the violation of human rights provide an enabling environment for military intervention in politics. As for the latter, it entails various issues that are germane to the corporate interests of the military, such as salary and equipment. In the case of irregular warfare, the chapter observes that they have become common occurrences on the African Continent, as evidenced by the outbreak of several in virtually every region of the continent. The chapter attributes irregular warfare to several factors, including mass economic marginalization. The chapter then suggests various ways for addressing militarism and its ancillaries on the continent, including the need to improve the economic conditions of the majority of Africans.