West African Politics
Coups Promise Change, but Economist Argues They Leave African States Worse Off
Economist and legal scholar John Mukum Mbaku argues in The Conversation that military coups in Africa worsen intergroup conflict, undermine entrepreneurship, expose vulnerable groups to abuse and destroy efforts to deepen democracy. Drawing on studies of Egypt, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Sudan, he contends that positive change comes through institutional reform and civilian control of the military instead.
