By Chukwuemeka B. Eze and Jeggan Gray Johnson[1]
West Africa stands today at a troubling crossroads where democratic aspirations collide with deep geopolitical tensions, failing institutions, and a new wave of military interventions- raising legitimate questions of the region’s democratic trajectory fifty years after its formation. Have we plateaued, or have we plummeted into the era of the erosion of established normative procedures and democratic institutions, or is the regional experiment in a stage of reflection on deeper, ongoing challenges? Are citizens confronting systems that they perceive as imperial impositions and using whatever means available to them to resist? Or are they facing a crisis of democracy itself, a legitimacy crisis stemming from civil rule that often masks authoritarian tendencies? Why are military coups predominantly re-emerging in Francophone countries? Is this a coincidence, or does it reveal unresolved histories of external influence, entrenched political economies or distinctive patterns of state–society relations in these contexts? In whose name and under whose mandate do political elites continue to hold power? Why are we so quick to dismiss the military as being outside of the political system when, in fact, it is an institution shaped by the same social, economic and political dynamics as the rest of society? To what extent does our discourse artificially separate civilians from soldiers, rather than examining the broader governance ecosystem that produces both?
Citizens increasingly find themselves trapped between three unappealing forces—the entrenched culture of ‘electoral despotism’, external imperial influence and internal military domination. The trilateral dilemma has produced a disturbing condition: a choiceless choice, in which none of the options seems capable of delivering stability, dignity, peace, and security, or even genuine sovereignty.
The Long Shadow of Imperialism: More than six decades after 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 such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Benin, resentment toward external interference, particularly from France, has become a widespread political sentiment.
Economic dependence, currency constraints (such as the CFA franc), and the presence of foreign troops on African soil reinforce the perception that the region’s sovereignty remains compromised. This has created 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 last decade has seen a resurgence of military takeovers in the region. Coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, representing 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 failure, initially welcomed soldiers as “corrective forces.” But military rule often replaces one form of authoritarianism with another and is characterised by restricted freedoms, a politicised security apparatus, uncertain transition timelines, a limited economic vision and opportunity, heavy reliance on foreign military partners (Russia, Turkey, Gulf states) and debt, and is overshadowed by a youth bulge threatening to burst at the seams. e. Thus, the promise of liberation from imperialism frequently gives way to new dependencies and domestic authoritarianism, and ultimately to policy incoherence, confusion, and instability.
The Choiceless Choice: The tragedy is that citizens are forced to choose between very difficult and perhaps inferior alternatives: Imperialism, which undermines sovereignty and reinforces structural inequalities, electoral despotism, where power remains concentrated within a cabal or small host of elites, and Military rule, which suspends constitutional order and democratic rights. All option 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 face a situation in which every available choice feels imposed rather than freely made.
The Geopolitical Chessboard: Part of the crisis stems from the region’s growing importance in global geopolitics. West Africa has become a stage for competition among major powers: France and the EU seek to preserve influence, The United States prioritizes counterterrorism, Russia positions itself as an anti-West alternative, China expands via infrastructure loans, and the eventual confiscation of strategic minerals anchored in the blue and green economies, Gulf states and Turkey enter with economic and military interests and the list continues to expand. These competing agendas pull governments in different directions, leaving citizens with little say over the region’s strategic direction.
The Decline of Democratic Credibility: Democracy in West Africa is in crisis, not merely because of coups, but because of a leadership pandemic. The region has a critical and morally bankrupt leadership. of 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 another cycle of disillusionment.
What Real Sovereignty Requires: Breaking this cycle demands a new political imagination—one rooted in African agency rather than in external dictates or military paternalism. A pathway to genuine sovereignty includes: Strengthening democratic institutions beyond elections, economic independence, primarily through value-added industries, regional security cooperation less reliant on external forces, civic education and accountability systems that are citizenry-driven, that restore public trust, as well as 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.
Conclusion: West Africa’s tragedy is not that it lacks alternatives, but that the region’s political trajectory has become trapped between two dominant and deeply flawed forces. Imperialism continues to shape its geopolitics and economy, while military rulers exploit public frustration to consolidate power. Together, they 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 entails nurturing institutions stronger than individuals and ensuring that power remains accountable to the people. It means prioritising people’s power over that of statesmen, strengthening judicial independence, fortifying the institutions meant to protect democracy and ensuring that the exercise of power after elections truly serves citizens. Only then can West Africans move beyond the suffocating binary of imperialism and soldiers—and reclaim the right to choose their own future.