Mbeki blames neocolonial pressures for Africa’s coup epidemic

Former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, has attributed the rise in unconstitutional regime changes across West and Central Africa to exploitative neocolonial influences, particularly from France.
According to Mbeki, these pressures have sparked political upheavals as soldiers rebel against lingering colonial-era relationships that continue to affect the region.
Speaking during a roundtable discussion with fellows of the MTN-sponsored Media Innovation Programme in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mbeki emphasized that restoring democracy in these countries would require honest dialogue with key stakeholders.
The former president hosted the 20 fellows at his foundation in Riviera, where he addressed the theme: ‘Africa’s Indispensable Bilateral Relations: South Africa and Nigeria’.
“I don’t believe these soldiers are inherently anti-democratic,” Mbeki said, “but they are confronting a very real issue. It’s a political rebellion against the old France-Afrique relationship.” His remarks followed a wave of military coups that have recently destabilized civilian governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
In May 2021, September 2022, and July 2023, the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, respectively, were overthrown by military forces. In response, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed economic sanctions on the three nations, as well as Guinea, where the military took power in September 2021. Although ECOWAS relaxed some of these sanctions in February, the junta-led regimes remained steadfast in their decision to leave the regional bloc.
In January 2024, the four countries officially announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS, a move that sparked concerns about the future of regional cooperation. ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Touray, warned in April that the withdrawal of these states jeopardized nearly $1 billion in ECOWAS investments.
Further escalating the situation, the leaders of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso signed a confederation treaty in July 2024, reinforcing their previously announced mutual defense pact under the Alliance of Sahel States.
Despite the deepening rift, ECOWAS has continued its diplomatic efforts to reintegrate the estranged nations. During a meeting with ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff on August 9, 2024, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, reiterated the bloc’s commitment to restoring relations. “We will do everything possible to offer a hand of friendship and give them reasons to return,” Tinubu said.
Mbeki, however, sees the situation as part of a broader struggle against neocolonialism. He highlighted the persistent French influence in its former colonies, explaining that the military coups are a direct response to the lingering effects of the France-Afrique policy.
“Part of what happens in Africa is that a president might be elected, but they are often beholden to French interests. So, when soldiers rebel against French neocolonialism, they also target any political figure aligned with those interests,” Mbeki explained.
Drawing on past experiences, Mbeki recalled his role in mediating the Ivorian crisis in the early 2000s, during which he discovered the extent of France’s entrenched control. “One agreement with France allowed a French military base in Abidjan, with the commander tasked with protecting the national security of both Côte d’Ivoire and France. This gave the French commander the authority to take over the country’s media without consulting the Ivorian president, an arrangement formalized when Côte d’Ivoire gained independence in 1960.”
Mbeki noted that such agreements, common in former French colonies, continue to fuel resentment. “One of the great heroes for these young soldiers in Francophone West Africa is Thomas Sankara. They are rebelling against the old colonial order to assert their countries’ true independence.”
Earlier in the event, Prof. Isaac Ezechukwu, Director of Professional Programmes at Pan-Atlantic University’s School of Media and Communication, expressed gratitude to Mbeki for meeting with the fellows. He noted that the visit provided an opportunity to deepen their understanding of Nigeria-South Africa relations and promote stronger ties between the two countries.
Also in attendance were MTN Nigeria’s Senior Manager of External Relations, Mr. Funso Aina; MTN Nigeria’s Public Relations Manager, Dr. Lakinbofa Goodluck; MTN Group’s Senior Manager of Strategic Public Affairs, Dominic Kumalo; and Prof. Isaac Ezechukwu, among others.