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The Negative Image of Africa's Military

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2009

Kenneth W. Grundy
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Extract

The past few years have seen a tremendous increase in the direct involvement of Africa's military men in political affairs. Between January, 1963, and early 1968 there were no less than nineteen successful military coups, military-led secessions, or military actions instrumental in bringing about changes of government in that continent. This total can be augmented by the numerous attempted military coups, mutinies, secessions, and plots that failed to gain power or that were foiled before launching. This increase in the political activities of the military in Africa calls for an assessment of the degree to which Africa's military men are accepted as legitimate national leadership material by Africa's masses and intellectuals.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Review of Politics , Volume 30 , Issue 4 , October 1968 , pp. 428 - 439
Copyright
Copyright © University of Notre Dame 1968

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References

1 These Forces Are Discussed At Some Length In My Forthcoming Monograph, Conflicting Images of the Military in Africa.

2 Afrifa, Colonel A. A., The Ghana Coup: 24th February 1966 (London, 1966), p. 93, and pp. 93–105.Google Scholar

3 Itote, Waruhiu (General China), “Mau Mau” General (Nairobi, 1967), pp. 28–29.Google Scholar

4 See Gutteridge, William F., “The Political Role of African Armed Forces: The Impact of Foreign Military Assistance,” African Affairs, LXVI, No. 263 (04, 1967), 94–95.Google Scholar

5 Problems of this sort are explored at length in Gutteridge, William, Armed Forces in New States (London, 1962), pp. 26–32;Google Scholar and in his, “Military Elites in Ghana and Nigeria,” African Forum, II, No. 1 (Summer, 1966), 31–41.Google Scholar

6 Coleman, James S. and JrPrice, Belmont, “The Role of the Military in Sub-Saharan Africa,” in Johnson, John J. (ed.), The Role of the Military in Underdeveloped Countries (Princeton, 1962), pp. 370–371.Google Scholar

7 Thompson, W. Scott “New Directions in Ghana,” Africa Report, XI, No. 8 (11, 1966), 22.Google Scholar

8 Ibid., 18.

9 Peasah, J. A. “Africa 1966,” The Legon Observer, II, No. 14 (07, 7–20 1967), 11.Google Scholar

10 See, for example, Pye, Lucien W., “The Army in Burmese Politics,” in Johnson, (ed.), op. cit., 231–251.Google Scholar

11 See the representative expressions of this argument in Zambia Hansard No. 6, Debates, 3rd Session, National Assembly, Cols. 289–290, 599–600, & 790–792.Google Scholar

12 East African Standard (Nairobi), 03 2, 1966.Google Scholar

13 Ibid., January 27, 1964.

14 Ibid.

15 Reporter (Nairobi), V, No. 154 (03 11, 1966), 9.Google Scholar

16 Ibid., V, No. 155 (03 25, 1966), 15. Nyerere's basic distrust of militarism is carefully documented in Ali A.Mazrui “Anti-Militarism and Political Militancy in Tanzania,” a paper prepared for the Conference on Armed Forces and Society, London, 09 14–16, 1967 (processed).

17 See the speeches at passing out ceremonies for the K.A.R. by Army Commander, Hardy, Brig. A. J., East African Standard (Nairobi), 03 23, 1966;Google Scholar and by Minister of Defense Mungai, Njeroge Dr., Daily Nation (Nairobi), 03 23, 1967.Google Scholar

18 Lowson, Richard, Strange Soldiering (London, 1963), passin.Google Scholar

19 Kitchen, Helen “Filling the Togo Vacuum,” Africa Report, VII, No. 2 (02, 1963), 7–10.Google Scholar

20 Russell Warren Howe, Washington Post, as quoted in Ibid., 10.

21 “Gabon: Putsch or Coup d'Etat?” Africa Report, IX, No. 3 (03, 1964), 14.Google Scholar

22 Ibid.

23 The exclusive Congressional power to declare war, to control the militia, to raise and support armies, and the two-year limit on appropriations for that purpose (Art. I, Sec. 8); the exclusive Presidential authority as Gommanderin-Chief of the Armed Forces and Militia (Art. II, Sec. 2); and, of course, Amendments II (the right of the people to keep and bear arms), and III (“No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.”

24 Okello-Oculi, Joseph, “Soldiers are not creatures from Mars!” The People (Kampala), No. 171 (07 1, 1967), 12&15.Google Scholar