In an era of high-tech warfare, military coups seem to be less frequent — and more successful. Yet they continue to occur, and often dismantle democratic institutions in newly independent states. This can entrench military control and hamper democratic development for years to come.
Civilian support is now a key feature of many coups, whether by joining the ranks of soldiers during a takeover or supporting pro-junta protest movements. This trend is especially prominent in West Africa, where the thwarted coup in Benin and Niger’s successful one were both civilian-supported. Moreover, in a number of recent cases civilians have worked to consolidate coups by rallying in the streets and taking on important governing roles alongside new juntas.
The reason for this is that military coups are less likely to succeed if their objectives are not popular with the population at large. As a result, successful coups require four things: the armed forces have the capacity, the interest, no legitimate opponent and a degree of popular support. Civilian support provides these elements, and helps to prevent the military from being deemed as an “anomaly” for venturing into politics.
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