The return of the military coup to West Africa: the African Union response
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Date
2010-07-29T09:11:31Z
Authors
Mackay, Mitchell
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Abstract
Abstract:
The following research report seeks to investigate the recent occurrence of military coup
d’états in the geographical sub-region of West Africa. Military coups staged in both
Mauritania (August 2008) and Guinea (December 2008) represent an alarming spike in the
incidence of illegal political takeovers and raise questions as to what form of response is
required in order to limit, or completely eradicate, the scourge of unconstitutional changes of
government (UCG) from the continent. This report suggests that the African Union (AU), in
its commitment to the ideals of political legality and legitimate governance, is capable of
addressing UCG in Africa through its inherent ability to induce long-term normative
reformations regarding democracy and constitutionality.