Resurgence of Military Regimes in Three West African States: Threat to Democratic Rule

<p><strong><span>Abstract</span></strong><span><br>The recent resurgence of military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea is a harrowing development in the democratic trajectory of West Africa.<span>  </span>This study investigates the failure of democratic governments to secure territorial enclaves, provide minimum infrastructural amenities and services which has eroded trust of the citizens in the democratic order. The objective explored inclusive governance reform strategies viable to address citizen grievances and restore confidence in democratic institutions. Critical Democratic Theory derived from critical theory (Habermas, 1984) and radical democracy (Mouffe, 2000) is engaged as the lens through which the problematic is viewed. The methodology adopts a qualitative comparative approach, employing content analysis of policy briefs, scholarly literature, and communiques of ECOWAS and the African Union. The findings reveal that the democratic institutions were bedeviled by weak rule of law, politicized judiciaries, and electoral manipulation leading to loss of public confidence in democratic processes among others. The study concludes that while the coups confirm deep structural weaknesses, they also indicate the weakness of externally imposed democratic frameworks that fail to address the domestic contexts of the three states. Lastly, the strengthening of regional mechanisms for democratic accountability and the implementation of inclusive governance reforms that ameliorate citizen grievances are recommended to safeguard democracy in the region. While the military should be saddled with the security of the state, lives and properties of citizens and not governance.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Keywords:</span></strong><span> military coups, democracy, West Africa, governance, political instability.</span></p>