Revolutionary Overthrow of Constitutional Orders in Africa

Chapter 11. Countries Where the Military Have Seized Power More than Once

135 Chapter 11 Countries where there has been more than one coup Algeria On 5 July 1962, Algeria gained independence from France after a long and bloody nationalist struggle. Ahmed Ben Bella became President of the new State. Three years later, in 1965, he was overthrown by a military coup that installed Colonel Houari Boumedienne as the new ruler. In January 1992, Government cancelled multiparty elections that the Front Islamique du Salut (FIS) political party was poised to win. That action gave rise to a protracted insurgency. In the same year Khaled Nezzar ousted Chadli Bendjedid from power. Benin On 28 October 1963, the Chief of Staff of the Dahomeyan Army Col. Christophe Soglo took control of the country ostensibly to prevent what appeared to be an incipient civil war. He dismissed the cabinet, dissolved the Assembly, suspended the constitution and banned any type of demonstrations. He forced President Hubert Maga to resign. On the same day he conferred the powers of Minister of State on Hubert Maga, Sourou-Migan Apithy, and Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin, the triumvirate that had been running the country since independence from France in 1960. Soglo gave the following reasons for the overthrow of President Hubert Maga: “luxurious life style of the rulers, abusive increase in the number of ministerial posts, unsatisfied social demands, unkept promises, the rise of the cost of living, and antidemocratic measures that martyrized the people and reduced them to nothing.” In December the same year Soglo handed power to Apithy, only to seize it back in December 1965. Soglo himself was overthrown in December 1968 by 136 Major Kouandete who then set up a military government under Lt Col. Alley. In June 1969 power was again handed over to a civilian, Dr Emile Sinzou but in December the same year Kouandete dismissed Zinsou’s government and set up a military triumvirate which ruled until May the following year when power was again handed to a civilian government led again by the triumvirate made of Hubert Maga, Apithy, and Ahomadegbe. The triumvirate managed to hold on to power for two years before being toppled by Major Mathieu Kerekou on 26 October 1972. On 30 November 1975 Kerekou changed the name of the country by proclaiming the People’s Republic of Benin. In January 1977 there was a coup attempt by a group of mercenaries led by the notorious Bob Denard. In 1988 there were two coup attempts that were foiled and in 1995 there were strong rumours of another foiled coup attempt. Kerekou stayed in power until 2001, except for a brief period from 1991-1996 when Nicephore Soglo, a civilian, served as President. Burkina Faso On August 5, 1960, Upper Volta attained full independence from France. The first president, Maurice Yaméogo, was the leader of the Voltaic Democratic Union (UDV). Soon after coming to power, Yaméogo banned all political parties other than the UDV. The government lasted until 1966 when after much unrest—mass demonstrations and strikes by students, labour unions, and civil servants—the military intervened. The military coup deposed Yaméogo, suspended the constitution, dissolved the National Assembly, and placed Lt. Col. Sangoulé Lamizana at the head of a government made up of senior army officers. The army remained in power for four years, and on June 14, 1970, the Voltans ratified a new constitution that established a fouryear transition period toward complete civilian rule. Lamizana remained in power throughout the 1970s as president of military or mixed civil-military governments. After conflict over the 1970 137 constitution, a new constitution was written and approved in 1977. Lamizana was re-elected in 1978. His government faced problems with the country’s traditionally powerful trade unions. On November 25, 1980, Col. Saye Zerbo overthrew President Lamizana in a bloodless coup and established the Military Committee of Recovery for National Progress as the supreme governmental authority, thus abrogating the 1977 constitution. It was not long before he also encountered resistance from trade unions and was overthrown two years later, on November 7, 1982, by Maj. Dr. JeanBaptiste Ouédraogo and the Conseil du Salut Populaire, (CSP), Council of Popular Salvation. The CSP continued to ban political parties and organizations, yet promised a transition to civilian rule and a new constitution. Factional infighting developed between moderates in the CSP and the radicals, led by Capt. Thomas Sankara, who was appointed Prime Minister in January 1983. The...