The Resurgence of Coups d'états in Africa and the Role of the African Union and Civil Society Organisations

Unlike the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the formation of the African Union (AU) came with great expectations and a more proactive stance on addressing humanitarian crises, war crimes, and human rights violations across the continent. Despite notable progress in its two-decade existence, persistent governance and security challenges, particularly the resurgence of coups d'état, raise concerns about the AU's effectiveness in achieving lasting peace and security. Since 2010, there have been over 40 attempted coups and 12 successful ones, replacing elected governments with military rule. This trend highlights the urgent need for the AU to re-assess its approach to Unconstitutional Changes of Government (UCG). Scholarly discourse on this topic predominantly focuses on member states' non-compliance with AU regulations against UCG, the organisation's efforts to promote democracy, and its inconsistent responses to non-compliant states. However, scant attention is paid to the role of civil society groups, which serve as watchdogs organizations that play a crucial role in ensuring member states adhere to their continental obligations. Drawing on an Afrocentric theoretical framework, this paper argues that the AU should collaborate more with civil society organizations and other non-state actors to address the scourge of coups across Africa. Employing a qualitative desktop research approach, the paper utilizes secondary and open-access primary sources to analyse publicly available data on this issue. The paper concludes that the AU should adopt a more inclusive approach that actively involves Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), which have proven effective in countering military coups in various parts of the continent.