African Leaders And Coups- What Africans need to know

  

MY PERSPECTIVE

Sulayman Lecturer Darboe 

 African Leaders and Coups - What Africans need to know

Perhaps, it's high time that Africans to know that:

In as much as they (leaders) keep failing us,

In as much as they  continue trading our integrity and sovereignty by engaging in corruption and other uncalled malpractices,

In as much as they failed in rendering the necessary services in exchange for our continuous adherance to the law, taxpayment and loyalty,

In as much as they proof incompetent and vacuum to lead, 

In as much as  they provide rooms for 'the neocolonialist to promote his exploitative agenda, 

and in as much they steal our funds, launder resources, or  misplaced  national priorities; A COUP IS NOT RIGHT AND HENCE NOT JUSTIFIABLE.

Since the illegal overthrew of President Ibrahim Keita's Government, I have read numerous comments, listened to audios, and watched News all geared towards broadening my understanding of events around the Coup. Moreover, individual viewa as to whether the Coup fits in the Constitutional legal spectrum, or meets the present need of Malian citizens  equally provides me a deeper understanding of what matters and what doesn't in respect to the realities behind the overthrew of Keita's Government by Malian Army.

After nemerous findings, this is my own perspective which is subjected to argument because we are living in an intellectual world where everything is arguable. 

Ok! The only accepted way to remove a constitutionally elected government from power has ever been through  a democratic process called elections. Elections have proven to be civilize enough through which numerous individuals either usher in governments by voting them in through the ballot box or voting them out through the same powerful ballot box.  Usually , the act of voting in governments is based on trust and confidence that voters have for a particular political party or parties. Similarly, the same citizens vote out governments due to lack of the same trust and confidence that initially binned the two together. The lack of trust could be a consequence of governments failure  in providing the necessary services which the citizens eagerly voted for.

Sometimes, with increased frustration that citizens face due to poor governance which breeds ineffective delivery of services like poor provision of basic amenities such as, water and electricity; inability to sustainably secure lives and property, failure of a government to be  jealous of her country's sovereignty and the readiness to protect from any foreign domination like the neocolonial powers; have proven to be an encouragement for numerous illegal or unconstitutional act from

citizens like COUPS.

 In Africa, the Military is one of those active sectors  that continuously keeps overthrowing democratically elected governments. Usually, some of the coups ended up being abortive with participants apprehended, charged and sentenced. History equally has occasions of successful coups as in the case of The Gambia in the year of 1994.

Of recent, the world does not only arguably regret to learn about the Coup that overthrew the government of Keita which was pioneered and conducted by Malian Soldiers but grieved over it as it threatens our growth as civilized people who has chosen a civilize process in the name of elections to vent our anger, and dissatisfaction by voting out governments that we believe disappoints, fails, or incompetently governs. This is to say, there is never a justification for  a government who has democratically been elected to be overthrown by the use of force as we have recently seen in Mali. Probably, a coup would become rightful and accepted when nations chose it to be the best and reliable way of bringing in governments but in as far as democracy and a democratic process is globally recognized and accepted to be the most reliable way of voting in or out of governments, A COUP is therefore wrong and never a solution.

Therefore, what happened in Mali must not be celebrated. Despite the huge pain, frustration, anger because of reasons that maybe viable; the people of Mali especially the Military, should have endured and waited until the time scheduled for elections to constitutionally decide. The Military must allow citizens to choose who leads through the Ballot Box and not through Coup. Elections allow leaders to be voted out. When they are out, let the law take its course. 

In conclusion , African Leaders must get up from sleep. Africa deserves better. There are good reasons for some coups in Africa but because A COUP Never Legal, we must not encouge it. However, it's high time for the greed, selfishness and corruption which most African Leaders are known for, to be a thing of the past now. WAKE UP!