Between Imperialism And Military Rule: The Choiceless Political Reality In West Africa

By Chukwuemeka B. Eze and Jeggan Gray Johnson–

West Africa currently stands at a troubling crossroads where democratic aspirations collide with deep geopolitical tensions, failing institutions, and a resurgence of military interventions—raising serious questions about the region’s democratic trajectory fifty years after its formation.

Have we plateaued or plummeted into an age characterised by the erosion of established normative procedures and democratic institutions? Is the regional experiment a reflection of deeper, ongoing challenges? Are citizens confronting systems they perceive as imperial impositions and resisting through any means available? Or are they facing a crisis of democracy itself, marked by a legitimacy crisis stemming from civil rule that often masks authoritarian tendencies?

Why are military coups predominantly re-emerging in Francophone countries? Is this mere coincidence, or does it reveal unresolved histories of external influence, entrenched political economies, or distinctive patterns of state-society relations in these contexts?

Under whose mandate do political elites continue to hold power, and why are we so quick to dismiss the military as outside the political system when it, too, is shaped by the same social, economic, and political dynamics?

Citizens increasingly find themselves caught between three unappealing forces: the entrenched culture of electoral despotism, external imperial influence, and internal military domination. This trilateral dilemma has cultivated a disturbing reality: a choiceless choice, where none of the options seem capable of delivering stability, dignity, peace, security, or genuine sovereignty.

*The Long Shadow of Imperialism*: More than six decades after gaining independence, imperial legacies remain deeply embedded in West Africa’s political and economic structures. Former colonial powers continue to exert influence through aid conditionalities, control of extractive industries, military cooperation agreements, and political alliances that safeguard their strategic interests. In countries like Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Benin, resentment towards external interference, particularly from France, has blossomed into widespread political sentiment.

Economic dependence, currency constraints (such as the CFA franc), and foreign troops stationed on African soil reinforce the perception that the region’s sovereignty remains compromised. This situation has fostered fertile ground for anti-imperialist rhetoric, often championed by populist actors and military juntas who exploit these grievances to gain legitimacy.

*The Return of Soldiers to Politics*: The past decade has witnessed a resurgence of military takeovers in the region. Coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger—the largest coup belt in the world—and recently attempted interventions in Benin, a socio-political enigma, and Guinea-Bissau, the region’s narco-state, reflect a collapse of public trust in democratic systems perceived as kleptocratic, ineffective, and elite-controlled.

Many West Africans, frustrated by insecurity, poverty, and government failures, initially welcomed soldiers as “corrective forces.” Yet military rule often replaces one form of authoritarianism with another, characterized by restricted freedoms, a politicised security apparatus, uncertain transition timelines, limited economic vision and opportunity, heavy reliance on foreign military partners (Russia, Turkey, Gulf states), and debt. The promise of liberation from imperialism frequently gives way to new dependencies and domestic authoritarianism, culminating in policy incoherence, confusion, and instability.

The Choiceless Choice: The tragedy is that citizens are forced to choose between difficult and often inferior alternatives: the imperialism that undermines sovereignty and reinforces structural inequalities, electoral despotism, wherein power remains concentrated within a cabal of elites, and military rule, which suspends constitutional order and democratic rights. None of these options adequately addresses the core issues driving instability: weak governance, unemployment, fractured national identities, extremist threats, and the absence of economic diversification. In this vacuum, West Africans are left in a position where every available choice feels imposed, not freely made.

The Geopolitical Chessboard: Part of the crisis arises from the region’s increasing importance in global geopolitics. West Africa has become a battleground for competition among major powers: France and the EU aim to preserve their influence, the United States prioritizes counterterrorism, Russia positions itself as an anti-West alternative, China expands its footprint via infrastructure loans, and Gulf states and Turkey pursue their economic and military interests. These competing agendas pull governments in various directions, leaving citizens with little influence over the region’s strategic direction.

The Decline of Democratic Credibility: Democracy in West Africa is in crisis—not merely because of coups, but due to a leadership deficit. The region is plagued by a critical and morally bankrupt leadership. Manipulated constitutions, electoral fraud, corruption scandals, and impunity have hollowed out institutions. When democratic governments fail to deliver development or justice, the military’s rhetoric of “rescue missions” becomes appealing. Yet these interventions ultimately produce cycles of disillusionment.

What Real Sovereignty Requires: Breaking this cycle demands a new political imagination—one rooted in African agency, not external dictates or military paternalism. A pathway to genuine sovereignty includes strengthening democratic institutions beyond mere elections, achieving economic independence through value-added industries, fostering regional security cooperation less reliant on external forces, and establishing civic education and accountability systems driven by citizens to restore public trust. This also involves cultivating a pan-African political consciousness capable of resisting both imperial pressure and internal authoritarianism. The future depends on reclaiming democracy as a tool of liberation, not a façade for elite capture.

West Africa’s tragedy is not that it lacks alternatives, but that the region’s political trajectory has become ensnared between two deeply flawed forces. Imperialism continues to shape its geopolitics and economy, while military rulers exploit public frustration to consolidate power.

Together, these forces create a choiceless political reality where citizens struggle to find a path that protects both sovereignty and freedom. Yet within this crisis lies an opportunity: the chance to articulate a new political vision grounded in bold leadership, accountable governance, and regional solidarity.

Reimagining democracy means going beyond periodic elections; it necessitates nurturing institutions that are stronger than individuals and ensuring that power remains accountable to the people.

Prioritising the power of the populace over that of political elites, strengthening judicial independence, and fortifying democracy-protecting institutions will ensure that the exercise of power post-elections truly serves the citizens. Only then can West Africans transcend the suffocating binary of imperialism and military rule—reclaiming the right to choose their own future.

• Chukwuemeka B. Eze is the Director for Democratic Futures in Africa, and Jeggan Gray Johnson is an Advocacy Advisor at the Open Society Foundations